To LEPS-L and Larry with Love

[Mark Walker]

First of all, we do have a great thing in LEPS-L.  I am grateful to
Lawerence Gall and his faithfulness to this newsgroup/email list, and have
been very pleased to be given the opportunity to contribute over so many
years.  I certainly do not take it for granted, and I still prefer to lurk
here even while other lep groups are forming world wide.

I am a little embarrassed following my last post, as I probably acted too
sensitively - but I was concerned that there may be many more of you who
prefer not to be bombarded by posts riddled with references to my personal
life and it's idiosyncrasies.  As I mentioned to Anne, along with hopefully
contributing to the science of entomology, I do indeed use LEPS-L as an
outlet for penmanship and the expressing of ideas - and consider this one of
the lists greatest offerings.  It has been my greatest desire, beyond that
of interacting with nature, to bring many you of along on my adventures -
both physical and philosophical - but do not wish to offend nor especially
annoy.

I agree with many of your arguments upholding freedom of speech, but there
is also the freedom of non-speech, which I promise to choose if and when
there is a consensus (the idea of being "voted off" is not one that I
embrace, however - and I'm sorry that I even suggested it).

I am overwhelmed to report that I have yet to receive another condemnation -
instead, mostly encouraging votes of confidence coupled with honest
criticism.  These are more appreciated than I could ever hope to express,
and I feel especially blessed to have established many bonds of friendship
with both those I've regularly corresponded with as well as those I haven't.
Since first subscribing to the newsgroup while at graduate school in 1994,
and becoming a noisy contributor in 1996, I have actually had the pleasure
of meeting many of you personally.  I will look forward to meeting many more
of you this very year.

Thanks again to Larry for being patient and forgiving and generally a
perfect example of what a list owner should be.  I also thank all of you out
there - both the silent and vociferous - who've chosen to put up with what's
wrong with each of us so that we can mutually benefit from the true value
that abounds in all.

Mark Walker
happy that philosophy is still considered science 
and impatiently waiting for my vertebrae to fuse in Oceanside, CA

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