I, for one, am benefitting from hearing all perspectives. I appreciate the original "still in the game kids/parents" posting as they process their next steps because I learn from it as we realize we may be doing the same thing in the very near future - either way with BFE or TWE. I think I even benefit from reading the snippy, irritated or negative responses thru this thread.
Isn't that one benefit of communication between humans? we can hear how it "went" for that guy and better process our own reaction when it comes our turn. and through the process of sharing, the first guy gains closure too.
I think how this thread became unique for service academy forums is when it took on its own personal flavor. People became a little more real in this thread, sharing their hearts. I've been reading SAF for several years now, trying to learn as much as I could to prepare for this moment in time. I have rarely seen a thread offering pages and pages of the type of heartfelt support you'd get in real life; they are typically more factual and question/answer in nature. That's not bad at all, its very functional and beneficial! but somehow the mix of people in this rocky boat with USNA this spring in this thread, accomplished that personal connection fairly well for an online forum.
I'm sure for some, this is too much emotion, not enough plain facts - but for others it has become a counselor of sorts. For me, its an examination of all the human responses to such a trying time, which will help me through my own family's response and recovery in the next two weeks.
just some thoughts from my perspective (and yes, we ALL have one and should at least acknowledge that others have one too and respect that) It takes all types, isn't that the saying?
