I just read with great pride, the post of my dear friend, Torman. 

 http://open.salon.com/blog/torman/2009/08/08/swimming_against_the_currents_how_to_kill_a_blog_on_os

I have had the pleasure of being acquainted with Torman for many months, having followed him here from another blog site of which we were both members. He has never been one to mince words and is, by his own description, a plain-spoken man who stands by his principles. He is also one hell of a writer; one of the finest I have known. I have the utmost respect for the man. If you have not already done so, please pay a visit to his blog and read his magical words. Today's post is typical Tor - no-nonsense words from a wise man with no axe to grind. 

I was delighted to read his post today, as I have recently wrestled with many of the same issues he identifies. I have been a member of this site for a very short time. When I first came to OS, I was delighted by the quality of writers on this site. It seemed to me that I had found a writer's paradise. I was welcomed with open arms and felt comfortable here; so comfortable, in fact, that I wrote a couple of blogs of a very private nature, disclosing matters that I have never written of in such a transparent way. I received tremendous support from many OS'ers regarding those blogs. I felt a great kinship; I believed I had found a new home. 

As I spent more and more time perusing the site and visiting the Front Page, it became apparent to me that my political leanings didn't line up with a majority of OS'ers. I am a conservative, a Christian in my beliefs, and I am not a rabid Obama supporter. That alone was not necessarily a cause for concern. My personal convictions are such that I don't find it necessary to surround myself with only those of like minds. I have never had a problem interacting with individuals whose beliefs do not mirror mine. In fact, I believe that is what gives the human experience its unique flavor. You don't have to be a clone of me for me to learn from you and I hope that I would have the same effect on others. Still, a seed of disquiet began to niggle at the back of my mind. 

Finally, after several days of following the Editors Picks and reading a large number of blogs that were completely new to me, I was able to identify the cause of the growing discomfort I was feeling. My problem was not with the decided concentration of political opinions that are contrary to mine; it was the mode of expressing those opinions that gave me pause. I posted an entry entitled 

http://open.salon.com/blog/unbreakable/2009/08/04/the_real_truth_behind_what_dems_and_republicans_need

which expressed my feelings about what I had observed. I was heartened by the responses that blog received and decided to concentrate on reading more of some blogs and less of others.  Mind you, many of the blogs I frequent are written by people whose political views are opposite mine, but they express their views intelligently and respectfully. 

A few days later, I spent the better part of one day following blog posts and comments made by people whose talent I admire greatly. By the end of the day, I was thoroughly disillusioned and strongly considering closing down my blog and leaving OS. What I read that day was decidely "high-schoolish" in attitude. Posts and comments alike were petty, churlish and self-pitying - and that describes the BEST of them. I have been witness to this kind of foolishness on every blog and/or writers site I've been a part of, so I shouldn't have been surprised. But for some reason, probably the level of intellect and the quality of the writing I found here, I expected more from OS'ers. Some of the blogs were political in nature, some of them were anything but. Maybe it was a bad day in general. I don't know. But I wanted to scream, "Are we not all adults here? Can we please act like it?"

Never one to give up easily, I struck out again in search of OS'ers of the quality I had envisioned when I first came here. And I found them. I have adjusted my reading habits on OS once more and it seems that I may have found the "Adults Only" section. Lest anyone think they can figure out who I consider to be responsible, mature adults with incredible talent, be forewarned: I have not deleted any of my favorites. But I choose to participate only in the realm where I feel comfortable and where people don't find it necessary to attack or belittle others. In that respect, I guess our little virtual neighborhood here really does imitate real life. 

And I want to say thank you to the bloggers who have kept me here on OS. I think you all know who you are.