I thought you folks might like to see this.
This is the post that I just made over at Men's Health.
IN FITNESS & FRIENDSHIP & FAREWELL
On September 10, 2002 a 53 year-old guy who chose the screen name of “Mahler” made his first post on these forums.
He felt a little uncomfortable and more than a little out of place, being on a fitness forum that was heavily frequented by the young and the strong, for he knew that while he was entering his declining years, most about him were in their prime.
And yet, these people welcomed him, accepted him and eventually befriended him. With their help and guidance and encouragement, he was inspired to work hard and over those first few years made a transformation. And he, too, became strong once again.
He was a regular to the forum and many knew the name when they saw it and soon grew to respect what he had to say. But, that respect was mutual and he wanted to somehow return something to the forum for all it had given him. On the occasion of his 5,000th post he brought that idea to life with these words:
“My goal with this post is to contribute more to this forum. Gustav Mahler for whom I chose my name, fashioned mammoth symphonies. Each was a magnum opus. I want my 5,000th post to be a magnum opus of sorts. Beginning on Monday I am committed to doing a weekly motivational post. Nothing big or fancy, just something to get the week started. Thanks.”
With those words Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator was born and on February 16, 2004 the very first one was posted and that person, that “mahler”, was me.
I was no trainer and frankly not particularly knowledgeable about fitness or training, but the one thing I had to offer was my consistency. I worked hard and never missed a workout and made progress. If I could use that somehow to send a message each week that would keep guys going to the gym, working out, making progress, then at least I would be contributing, giving back a little in return for what I had so generously been given.
Well, four and a half years later, there are now 224 motivators, which I hope is another record of commitment and consistency. Earlier this year (interesting that it, too, was in February) members asked that the Motivators be given a special place on the forum where they could be easily found. Those same members then created a thread containing all the previous installments and the moderators made it a “stickie” at the top of the forum. These actions deeply moved me and I was so very honored.
Shortly after that, due to reorganization of the forum and a falling out, many of the veteran members left. I did not choose to leave, and continued to post my weekly messages. I told myself that I was not a quitter.
Fast forward six months and I was recently informed through a moderator that the Motivator Archive was no longer to be stickied. You will notice that it is gone. While reasons for doing so were offered, they did not seem to blunt the sting that I feel at this action. Updating it only to bump it up and then watch it sink only seems fruitless. It was never intended to be a thread to be responded to, but an archive.
There was a time when I logged on and used to be greeted with pages of new posts where now there are a handful. Where the topics were lively and varied, they now seem to have fallen into a sameness that is sad in many ways.
I gave a little something of myself each week for over four years. It was a body of work like nothing else on a fitness forum. I never asked for this work to be stickied, but was honored by that action. Now that honor has been diminished. It is as though I gave a gift of myself and it has been tossed into the closet where it must be searched for by intrepid souls. I cannot help but think that with the decline in forum activity, that the efforts of the moderators would be better directed at finding ways to rebuild rather than taking away what little tradition remains. How could one possibly look at this forum and decide that the most productive thing that could be done to make improvements would be the action that was taken?
I have said emphatically many times that I am not a quitter.
There are times, however, when there are things that you don’t quit, but despite your best efforts, they quit you. I will continue to write the motivators and post them where they are welcomed, but that place is not here.
And so, my dear readers, I close for the final time,
In Fitness and Friendship,
Mahler
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
ACK!!!! Don't scare me like that! I thought by your title you were saying farewell to US!
Ditto.
__________________
*****************************
Walk on
With hope in your heart
And You'll Never Walk Alone
*****************************
There's no free lunch, especially when it's served with special sauce (lostdog)
***************************** My Log - PC Plod
Geez louise, man! I had the same reaction as JP for a second!
It looks like the end of an era at MH. I can't let this occasion go by without saying thanks for leading me here to JPF. I think many others could say the same.
__________________ The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same. -- Carlos Castaneda
I haven't been over there in a few years, and the quality of information was deteriorating pretty quickly then. I'm surprised that the era lasted this long.
I legit got pissed off when I read the title. Then, after clicking the link, I realized he wasn't referring to our boards and calmed down
__________________
"Rust on a nail builds tetanus. Rust on a barbell builds character, strength, and attitude." -EC
"Don't spend your life wishing. Spend it doing." -FishrCutB8
"You're a mutant, like a snake with two heads or a cat shy one nipple. Be thankful that your mutation is helpful." - LD
I don't post much if at all, any more, but I do read, and read your posts with pleasure. And may I add that one of the highest moments of my recent life came last year, when I managed to get the last two tickets to the Philadelphia Orchestra's performance of the Mahler 8th... i was about 11 when first heard "Veni creator spiritus" performed on the radio by, I think, Bruno Walter. Sublime stuff!
__________________
"It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in an argument." William Gibbs McAdoo. US Vice-President under Woodrow Wilson.
Hey John....Remember you're appreciated here mate.
__________________
Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. -- Sidney J. Harris
Hell, you're my hero! If you ever left, I'd give up working out, and I'd start believing what my brother said about Santa, the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny.
__________________ "I'm growing older but not up. My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck. So let the winds of change blow over my head. I'd rather die while I'm living then live while I'm dead."
It is still awesome to have you here. I had forgotten you started these the day after my b-day. What a great present and thanks for continuing to post here.
__________________
Your accomplishments can only be as big as your heart.
Man Ive had a crazy ass day today full of 'WTF' moments and then I saw this and was like 'well fuck!'
Mahler, youre good with language, but you SUCK at thread titles.
__________________
"The strongest steel goes through the hottest fires."-Anonymous
"When you begin to believe nothing is heavy, all weights become light." -Rossbow
"Just remember, somewhere there is a little Chinese girl warming up with your max."-Jim Convroy
"It's a round hole, dammit. Everyone fits."--Anonymous Mod at Strengthmill
Man Ive had a crazy ass day today full of 'WTF' moments and then I saw this and was like 'well fuck!'
Mahler, youre good with language, but you SUCK at thread titles.
Manuel,
See Terry's answer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry Monk
Or does he? Everyone and their dog read this, no?
Terry,
You beat me to it.
Plans now are to let the Farewell thread die for a few days over at MH and then ask to have my profile deleted so that all my posts should be gone. I want little to do with the place anymore.
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
You lasted a helluva lot longer over there than I did (by a few years).
Yes, I guess so. I gave it my best try and that wasn't good enough when faced with the indifference of the mods over there. The amount of time I devoted meant little, even though those that commented seemed to think that what I wrote was well crafted and of value.
The one comment that will stay with me as this plays out is one by a member who wrote that I had taught him many things about life that he would teach his son. I was pretty choked up about that.
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
IN FITNESS & FRIENDSHIP & FAREWELL
)
"I'm growing older but not up. My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck. So let the winds of change blow over my head. I'd rather die while I'm living then live while I'm dead."
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