Comment Memory Lane - Ginzo Inspired & Team Approved W/OMar 10 '03 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Comments provide beneficial Life to epinions.com membership. Community spirit is a component of epinions.com that continues to beckon my participation; comments are an important contributor. During my time here, there have been numerous members that have extended advise, support, and fellowship via the comment sections of reviews. Epinions would be a dry place without the attribute of comments. Several members make a regular practice of leaving comments. When fellow epinionator ginzo invited me to participate in the Comment Write-Off – commemorating his three years at epinions.com – I signed on. What I didn’t realize is that it would be challenging to highlight a small portion of the comments, versus paying tribute to all. After considerable thought, I decided to narrow the selection range to my first year of epinionating, highlighting comments that were especially encouraging during the newbie phase, a sample of comments that helped me to connect to the community, and a portion of those that assisted me during certain life trials. This epinion contains a smidgen of the golden delights available, and it is my sincere hope that no fellow epinionator will feel left out. Rest assured that every kind-spirited comment is appreciated, and that they ALL are important to me. My sincere gratitude to the fellow epinionators that have contributed LIFE to the epinions experience. And, my thanks to our host - ginzo. "Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." -- Mother Teresa (1910-97) June 27, 2000 - June 27, 2001 ~ Pioneer Days ~ After a recommendation from a friend at a parenting board, I joined epinions.com on June 27, 2000. Unfortunately she doesn’t participate at epinions.com any longer, but there are several members, from those early days, that do. During the initial days of reading reviews, and rating, I became appreciative of certain members, mostly due to their apparent regard for children. The majority of the epinions that I initially read were within the Kids & Family category. Still an Epinions Newbie, on July 03, 2000, I finally wrote an editorial, regarding a parental subject. Having been at epinions.com for less than a month, I wasn’t sure how others would respond. I was delighted when dr_steph left a comment, and it let me know that there were parents at the site that I could relate with. Co-Sleeping Works / Worked For Us Jul 03 '00 Sounds familiar! (Reply to this comment) by Dr_Steph, in Kids & Family Co-sleeping? Sleeping in the Summer bouncy chair? Profuse reflux? Spirited child? Are you sure you aren't talking about MY family? Great editorial, Lisa! :) Steph ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ "One kind word can warm three winter months." -- Japanese Proverb Considering my adoration for reading, it wasn’t long before I began contributing within the Books category. The comments continued to provide inspiration, and although each positive comment meant a lot, there was a particular epinions member that had a gift for commenting. Mark - hard_to_please - was known for his knack of commenting. It was a comment at one of my early reviews, in which we were introduced. Although Mark (January 15, 1960-October 9, 2001) was diagnosed with, and lost his battle with cancer, many epinions member continue to be blessed by his comments, and by having the privilege of knowing him. S'More Spirit Please.... ~*~ Raising Your Spirited (strong willed) Child Jul 10 '00 Smells Like Teen Spirit? (Reply to this comment) by Hard_To_Please Lisa- "Spirited" is such a nice description! I'd like to think I still have a 'spirited kid' inside me -just like you!!...Mark ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ "Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love." -- Mao Zedong (1893-1976) Sometimes there are pleasant surprises within this form of feedback. I was motivated when the co-producer and songwriter of Between the Lions commented. chriscerf (Reply to this comment) by chriscerf Hi, Lisa J: As a co-producer and songwriter for "Between the Lions," I'm hardly prejudiced. In fact, my opinion shouldn't count at all. But I'm new to the epinions site, and yours is one of the first reviews I've read of our new program. And BOY did you make me happy!! So heartfelt thanks to you and your compatriots for all the great notices! -- Best wishes, Chris Cerf ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ "There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success." -- George Burton Adams (1851-1925) Remembering back to the earlier epinionating days, I recollect two members that were exceptionally inspiring when I contributed within the music category. Epinion designated titles or not, both kristinafh and divad 23 will always be considered Top Reviewers & Advisors (within the music category) by me. They provided mentoring and encouragement during my initial debut in Music, and both continue to mentor others, extend friendship, and example exemplary participation. Kristina has left numerous comments, making it hard to select one, but I thought I would share a particular comment that inspired me during my initial attempts at reviewing music. Speechless in the presence of God Nov 22 '00 Excellent! (Reply to this comment) by kristinafh Lisa, Every time I read a review on a Christian cd, I'm usually disappointed because people don't seem to take the time to fully explain it. Although it's not my type of music, I am really interested in learning about the topic. I think yours is the very first official review that I've read that tells me everything. Thanks! Kristina Additionally, David provided honest critiquing that assisted me toward improved music reviews. I admire his positive feedback, helpful suggestions, and his overall adoration for music. He has been a true mentor within the music category, and I will always consider him to be a ‘Top Reviewer’ and ‘Advisor’ of Music. Several of his comments challenged me to grow, delivered true advice, and encouraged. I decided to share three. Alabaster Boxes, Casey Corum~*~ Rock/Worship Excellence Dec 21 '00 Cool! (Reply to this comment) by divad23 Well, you've definitely branched out this time, reviewing an independent artist and all. You definitely made me want to give this guy a listen. Good job fleshing out the style of each song (was it a typo that the last three songs all had the exact same description?) and even comparing to other worship bands/artists when appropriate. How could I not HR you for this? Where Is The Hope? ... listen up - Steven knows! Dec 04 '00 You have a thing for detail... (Reply to this comment) by divad23 ...and it suits you well. I am always thankful for reviewers who take the time to flesh out each song on an album and how it is meaningful to them. You and I are from different age groups, and we boht write with those age groups in mind. You do a good job of explaining what elements of a CD are (or are not) going to appeal to that group. Butterfly Kisses, and Bedtime Prayers ~*~ Literally! Dec 28 '00 Duh, I'm not a dad... (Reply to this comment) by divad23 ...so of course I don't quite "get it" with Bob Carlisle. You gave a great overview of the songs present, and though I personally can't stand him, I have to commend Mr. Carlisle for putting together a focused project based around a theme rather than based around trying to earn more radio hits. Perhaps this one should come with a little sticker on the front: "Non-parental Advisory: Explicit Mushiness." I'll probably "get it" when I'm a dad. ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ "The ability to relate and to connect, sometimes in odd and yet striking fashion, lies at the very heart of any creative use of the mind, no matter in what field or discipline." -- George J. Seidel One of the attributes offered by epinions.com membership, is the ability to connect with others that possess similar interests. I maintain adoration for reading with children, and believe that one of the most important academic exercises that you can do with them is daily reading. Early into my time at epinions, others that also maintain this thought process inspired me. A Passion for Reading ~*~ A passion children will imitate! Re: Excellent commentary (Reply to this comment) by macresarf1 I agree. There is no use telling kids to read. We have to be models and show them the values of reading. Regards. [Macresarf1] ------------------------- These are all (Reply to this comment) by lilynaz absolutely fantastic ideas! I love how you make sure the stories and availability to books grow with the child! Thanks so much for the wonderful ideas. ------------------------- Excellent commentary (Reply to this comment) by Wardukeky In this age of visual overload, it is so important to teach children the staying power of the written word!!! ------------------------- Wow! (Reply to this comment) by emeleel What a great article - this ought to be published somewhere. I agree with everything you wrote here! We haven't established formal "reading areas" like you, but everything else is pretty similar. I've been enjoying skimming through your work tonight, you're a great writer. Keep it up! ------------------------- Reading is Fundamental (Reply to this comment) by glomarrone I love to read & have tried to insall that love in my kids by taking them to the library weel.y & reading to them. Both of them still do a lot a reading-so do I. Loved your epinion! ------------------------- The gift of reading (Reply to this comment) by Lucky47 opens endless roads up to our children. Wonderful and well written. Your daughters are very lucky . :) Thank you for sharing. Carol ~ ------------------------- Wow! (Reply to this comment) by Kristin622 What a great parent you must be! Keep up the good work! ~Kristin ------------------------- HHR (Reply to this comment) by Trevsmom Lisa, you did an excellent job with this one. I like your ideas. If I could give a higher rating than HR I would. Karen : ) ------------------------- Wonderful suggestions! (Reply to this comment) by suzig As a reading teacher myself, I am so concerned that so many kids do not want to read....I can't imagine a world without books. I have to be reading something constantly! My daughter's favorite book was Goodnight Moon, and I have the tattered copy from 26 years ago, but I bought her a new copy last year for Christmas...will give her the tattered one someday too though. We give each other books each year, with a special "note" handwritten inside. They are treasured always. Your children will grow up with the love of books because you helped them see that. I have some students who do not have a book or magazine in their homes! Great review, suzi ------------------------- HR (Reply to this comment) by Shyra2 Great tips. I wish ALL parents put as much dedication into helping their children enjoy reading, as it seems you have. :) Shyra ------------------------- Our home is filled with books............. (Reply to this comment) by CANS4US it seems every room has it's share of book stacks and the common love of reading has reached from my husband clear down to our 2 year old. My 8 year old learned to read at an early age and now I can hardly keep him in books! It's expensive but well worth it! Thanks for such an informative and thoughtful review! GOOD JOB! :-) Susan CANS4US ------------------------- Thank you for all the great ideas (Reply to this comment) by mikesark This is a wonderful article. What a great Mom you are!! Blessings, Cheryl ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." -- Dr. (Felice) Leo(nardo) Buscaglia (b. 1924) During my initial one year at epinions.com I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, and Endometriosis. I shared an editorial and a couple book reviews. The comments on those epinions became part of the tool belt of items that assisted me with coping during that phase of time. In addition the kindness extended by others showed the importance that community relations plays toward the success of this site. I decided to share comments from: This Moms Brain Did Shrink! Facing a Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. Dec 26 '00 I admire your courage Lisa (Reply to this comment) by blackbelt_lady and have tears in my eyes. After my daughter was born 12 years ago I started having many symptoms of MS starting with Nystagmous, severe tremors and loss of balance. The Cleveland Clinic tested me every year for 4 years (the same as you described) and could find no reason, just that something really was wrong. Finally my symptoms subsided quite a bit and I went into Martial Arts to try to gain control of my body. Most of the time I do really well, but still have those times when I walk into walls. I pray that a cure will be found for this MonSter. ------------------------- Great review!....Excellent information.... (Reply to this comment) by jmk444 ...While I was living in the Inwood section of Manhattan, my next door neighbor Ty, whom I played basketball with when I first moved in, was diagnosed with MS about three years later (about 11 years ago). He deteriorated rapidly, from losing his balance, to walking with a cane, to being completely wheel chair bound. I don't think he cought it as early as you did and his form of the disease seems to have attacked his nervous system in a different way. He's a great guy and right now, his family is looking into those Stem Cell research projects. The web site you gave is a great source of information. THNAKS! My best regards, JMK ------------------------- My prayers (Reply to this comment) by stacyb are with you! Take Care. Stacy ------------------------- Wishing you all the best (Reply to this comment) by kancel Hello, I just had to read this due to the title. I knew it would break my heart and I read it anyways. About fifteen years ago a friend of the family who is so close that I call him my brother was diagnosed with MS, after a lot of "wait and see" like you went through. He married a wonderful woman about ten years ago who was aware of his condition. For years he didn't want to have a child because he was positive he wasn't going to be there to be a dad because the MS would take him. After fifteen years of thinking he was going to die any day he realized that even with MS he has a pretty wonderrful life. His wife is now 6 weeks pregnant and they are looking forward to be being parents together. Theirr only regret is that they waited so long. I write this to tell you NEVER EVER give up and never see it as a death sentence. You can have a long full and happy life even with the MS. Yes it is a nasty disease and there are people who are not so lucky with it but there are lots and lots of people who go years and years with MS and noone would ever know there was a hidden killer underneath their skin without you telling them. Don't waste the next fifteen year wondering if you are going to be here tomorrow, next year or even ten years from now, because when you get there and realize you still are you are going to regret all the things you put off not expecting to see the sun rise tomorrow. You and your family are in my prayers- I hope you have decades of happiness and joy ahead of you. ------------------------- God Bless You during your times of Troubles . . . (Reply to this comment) by viper1963 Michael J. Fox and Annette Funicello are two of my favorite actors/actresses. I still cannot believe Annette suffers from this disease yet she is a real trooper. I pray medical technology can discover a cure or at least medication to control the destruction. God Bless, Steve ------------------------- thinking of you (Reply to this comment) by Trevsmom and keeping you in my prayers. Sounds like you are taking this all very well - one day at a time. You are a very strong person. I'm proud to have you on my WOT :) Take care, Karen ------------------------- high recoimmend from me!! (Reply to this comment) by sonyab great job with this review! very informative and wonderful.. everything happens for a reason.. this experience has woken you up so to speak to smell the roses and to live your life the best you can.. never give up on life!! life is to short for that.. god is there for you, he is waiting for you to talk to him to tell him your pain and to comfort you when you cry.. :) never give up on life.. hugs ------------------------- You have written an exquisite article... (Reply to this comment) by jsaunt I appreciate the fact that you shared a lot of information but also included your personal experience. And since you've shared a little bit of yourself, you've focused on the human side of this disorder. So, you've not only helped others who may be diagnosed in the future, but some who already have MS and may be treated more appropriately by those with whom they interact. I hope that somehow this has also helped you in expressing your feelings here. Best wishes to you, and know that many thoughts are with you and your family. Leslie ------------------------- My heart is with you! (Reply to this comment) by elliejo Lisa, you are a woman of strength and faith, and you will come through. A friends of mine, Kathy Chesto, gother PhD and wrote several books on educating children in religion within the family context AFTER she was diagnosed with MS. She traveled all over the country doing talks and workshops. Her book, title I forget, but about "Hope" is a gem. I'll forward title if I can locate it. My prayers are with you and your family. Ellie ------------------------- My prayers are with you... (Reply to this comment) by fanciladi I'm glad you are finding strength in the 'Joy of the Lord'. My brother with dx with MS ... I can't remember how many years ago. We all are native Washingtonians, and I hear there are a higher percentage of MS cases here. He lives in Alaska now and is into alternative medicines, which he feels has helped him. He had been a vegetarian for years and the doctors said this may have helped keep his symptoms to a minimum. He still eats very little animal products and 'health' food. I will remember you in prayer! Thanks for adding me to your WOT...and sharing... Corrine ------------------------- The Brain May be Shrinking, but the Mind is Expanding (Reply to this comment) by Hard_To_Please Lisa- When someone trusts me, I have a pattern that I follow. I go to their sixth most recent review and read my way to the most recent and then finish by reading ther profile page. As I went through my routine with you tonight, I began to sense a warm heart and nuturing nature which was evident even when you were talking about such mundane things as brownies and Teletubbies. The more I read, the more I was uplifted by your attitude towards a bright future for our kids and your philosophy of never underestimating our children's potential. I ended my journey with this editorial and your profile page and am inspired by your optimism and positive outlook, despite facing difficult times. I am adding you to my WOT so that I do not lose track of someone who has the ability to put life in the proper perspective and lift my spirits by your example! ...Mark ------------------------- What a wonderful posting! (Reply to this comment) by sonrisa699 While I could never put myself in your shoes, this disease effect two members of my family (and thru this have met many others with it). I am truly amazed at how many people live with MS. When I was young I always participated in the MS Readathon, Jumpathon, Walkathon, etc. But being able to attatch a face to this disease puts an entirely new perspective on it. Thank you for this wonderful, informative article. I hope its able to help more people become aware of this disease and its affects on people. -heather ------------------------- Lisa, (Reply to this comment) by wavesandshells My prayers are with you and your family. Thanks for the information. My husband's co-worker's wife has MS. She is young and vibrant, a mother to three young girls, and runs a home day care. Hopefully, her doctors can help slow down this MonSter. Wendy ------------------------- Have courage, my friend.. (Reply to this comment) by sweaver my prayers are with you. ------------------------- I too would (Reply to this comment) by msmorvay like to wish you the best of luck with this and I agree being positive is the best thing you can do. Also my compliments on a very well written Epinion. ------------------------- My thoughts... (Reply to this comment) by kent4489 are with you. I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this. You sound positive in a tough situation. Stay strong. Aug ------------------------- thanks for sharing your story and info (Reply to this comment) by suzig good luck to you....great article with a wealth of information. suzi ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ My sincere thanks to our host ---- ginzo ---- and Congratulations to him, for three years of contributing at epinions.com! Team Players: 29th_candidate | amysmom | artbyjude | becytcy | DavidMac | donnie013 | drdevience | e_commentor | _haggis_ | jankp | jilpie | KcFoxy | kristinafh | Lisa_J | Lemon_Lime | Liquored | lorace | misc_e1 | popsrocks | RedDiva | sleeper54 | small_batch | stockholder | Susie_34668 | shoplmart | thorbjore | unhappycarrie | patiche ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ©2003 Lisa_J  |
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