sensei8 Celebrates 10 Years on Staff!

[Patrick]

Hello,

Thank you for visiting KarateForums.com.

Today marks 10 years since sensei8 (Bob) joined our staff. In honor of this big milestone, I'd love for you to reply to this thread and share your thoughts about Bob and the contributions that he has made to this community.

I invited some members from our community to share their thoughts through a special audio tribute to Bob. bushido_man96, ramymensa, Wastelander, and Wado Heretic joined me to reflect on what Bob has meant to this community. Click here to listen. We also have a transcript.

For many members who have joined KarateForums.com over the last 10+ years, one of the first, if not the first member they've encountered is Bob. Bob has made countless people feel welcome here. When it comes to an online community, I don't know that there is any greater impact that you can have than to make another person feel welcome. That ability is one of the great gifts that Bob has shared with us.

Bob has been an incredible contributor to our community. This is an obvious statement on my part. I would say that his posts have easily touched hundreds of thousands of people. When it comes to believing in KarateForums.com, no one has a stronger belief in this community than Bob. There's a reason he's won the Community Spirit Award in the KarateForums.com Awards for 8 years in a row and is nominated again this year. Not only that, but he's won more KarateForums.com Awards than anyone else. It's safe to say that Bob thinks highly of this community, and the members of this community think highly of him.

He's a rock in this community, a voice that is respected and above all else, a kind man who treats people with respect.

I feel grateful to know Bob and for Bob's presence in our community as a member and as a staff member for these last 10 years. Bob, thank you for all of your amazing contributions. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. For creating space for and making so many people feel included. Thank you for your efforts as a member of our staff, both a Sempai and a Sensei. And personally, thank you for your kindness, friendship, and support. It means a lot to me.

Lastly, we sent Bob a physical award to mark this occasion! Here's a photo:

http://www.karateforums.com/img/photos/sensei8-award.jpg

Congrats again, Bob!

Thanks,

Patrick

[bushido_man96]

Bob!

Congratulations on this huge milestone! As Patrick has already mentioned, your impact on this community has been significant. I know you've enjoyed your time here from the beginning, and it goes without saying that his community is better for having you be the part of it that you are.

The mark you've left on KF is indelible. The mark you've made on me, through the course of our friendship, is indelible. Thank you, Bob, for being a part of KarateForums.com!

[Zaine]

Congrats Bob!

[Wastelander]

Congratulations, Bob, and thank you for all of your contributions to the community!

[tatsujin]

Congrats sir! Most certainly a milestone to be celebrated!

[Nidan Melbourne]

Thank you Bob for all your hard work!

[sensei8]

Thank you all for your heart felt words of congratulations. Allow me to share with you what I shared with Patrick...

"Just after lunch, I heard a knock at my front door, when I opened the door, was I ever so surprised to find two packages sitting neatly at the foot of my door. So, like any surprised person, I picked up both of the boxes, made a quick scan to make sure they were for me; there at two apartments within my complex that have the same apartment #129, and because of that, we've had our packages show up at the other apartment #129, and we've received their packages in return.

 

Recognizing that one package was for my wife, Linda, and the other was for me. I placed my wife's package on her side of the sofa, and I sat down to find out more about my package. I immediately see..."From: O'KEEFE"...my eyes widen with a curious expression all over my face.

 

"What could this be?" "What could've Patrick sent me?" Those are the questions that raced through my mind. The other thing that caught my eye was that there was a large red label that read..."FRAGLE" in big bold letters.

 

Well, I went to the bedroom to retrieve my box cutter from my tool box, and returned to the most welcomed box. I carefully opened the box, and what do I find? Another smaller box and a card. The card read, "Thank you", and the message caused my eyes to start water. Then I turned my attention to the smaller box, which was carefully bubble wrapped and some packaging popcorn.

 

The smaller box has some noticeable weight to it. I slowly begin to open it, and then I unwrap the it, and when I see what I found inside that smaller box, those watering eyes turn into tears of many emotions streaming down my face.

 

It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen...my KarateForums.com Award for being on Staff for 10 Years. This blew my mind, mainly because I wasn't prepared and I wasn't aware that its been 10 years already.

 

With all that I've been facing these past 16 months battling prostate cancer and all, this award means more to me that you might ever imagine. I've had more down days that up days, and with many days and nights of uncertainty tears that I can remember.

 

I needed this in more ways that I could ever explain.

 

These past 10 years of KF Staff have been a true joy of mine to experience, and I've no regrets whatsoever. I'm now part of an elite group of past and present KF Staffers who've received this very same award, and I always wondered what they must've felt when they received their KF Award...now I know!!

 

Without our members, nothing is possible, and it's been my most extreme pleasure to have conversed with each of them all of these many, many years; we all learned from each other, and I truly thank them for allowing me to share their journey, MA and Non-MA wise, all of these years.

 

Patrick, words escape me to truly express what you, KF, KF Staffers, KF members, and this beautiful Award means to me right now, and for in the future. I can only say this...

 

Patrick, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!"

Here's to many more years here at KF in any capacity that I can help with.

[Patrick]

Thank you, Bob. I'm so glad that the award holds such deep meaning for you, and that it came time at the right.

Did you listen to the audio I linked in my first post? I'll be honest, I teared up a little by while editing it as it was so kind.

One thing I was surprised to hear is that Keith isn't a confident writer and is terrified of posting in case someone picks it apart. Your writing is solid, Keith! I'm always glad to see you have made a post.

Patrick

[sensei8]

Yes. I did listen to the audio; I was so touched that I cried. It too, means everything to me; to listen to their heartfelt words brought an awareness to me knowing how they feel about me. Thank you, Patrick, Brian, Noah, Keith, and Ramona; this I'll never forget.

[ramymensa]

Bob, you are a rock! All will turn out great, just wait and see. It's a privilege to have you in the community and as many others said before, we wouldn't have such an amazing community here if it wasn't for you. Many hugs