This forum/community is largely populated by those unfortunates affected by stroke.
Despite this misfortune we are resourceful, creative and, I hope, useful.
In ancient Rome the forum was an area in the centre of town.
It was not owned or controlled by any person or any organisation but it did reflect the place in which it was based.
It was open for use by anyone for any purpose.
It was often used as a meeting place for discussion, education, amusement, friendship & support.
It was a market place, a school, a theatre, a playground, a social centre and, for Julius Caesar, a crime scene..
A modern day forum is often an area on a website where messages can be exchanged.
Those visiting an online forum are often looking for information, answers to a question, contact with others.
Frequently a forum has a group of regulars who have information to share, experience that can be relevant for others, or amusement that can provide a diversion.
If one has developed an interest in a particular subject a search, to find a relevant forum, can be useful.
By this means one gains access to others with similar interests and much that is valuable can be shared or exchanged.
I hope your visit to this forum is both pleasant and useful.
Share your hopes, opinion and experience.
A space like this is made valuable and useful by those who partake in it.
Donât be shy. The folk here are friendly.
I think we are lucky t have one another and lucky to have a place we can all meet.
So thank you @Mrs5K and all the others with whom I have shared and enjoyed this forum.
As you have said, life has its ups and downs, but this forum has been here to sympathise, to listen, encourage, advise and share a laugh. Long may it continue to do so.
I must say I did not know the historical roots of the word forum - thanks for enlightening me.
Having read your post, a thought came to my head about the word âSquareâ.
My first memories of the word is from schooldays and Mathsmatics i.e. the geometric shape with four equal sides and 90 degree angles. And then again in maths, the squares of numbers and square roots of numbers.
A little later in life, I came across âThe town squareâ which I learned was an area usually in the central area of a town and where people could meet, possibly trade, entertain etc.
Then even later, I discovered that actually, âtown squareâ is not just an English thing - other countries have âtown squaresâ too e.g. Red Square in Russia, The Tiananmen square in China etc.
I think the Romans were influential where ever they set up camp. The idea of a forum is a part of their legacy.
However I donât think the notion of a meeting place is anything new.
I would even suggest that the stone circles erected a long time ago in many parts of Europe were quite likely assembly points back then.
Human beings are social animals. We are drawn together to meet, to interact and have been doing this since our beginning.
We are stronger and can achieve more by co-operating.
So this is obviously a worthwhile pursuit.
All of mankind acts in this way.
Whether affected by stroke or not these principles apply.
So I believe the town square is one form of this type of place or activity.
The main difference of the modern forum is that it is not rooted in an actual solid place or space.
It is a virtual cyber space within the workings of complex electronic communications devices like computers, tablets, smart phones.
It is nevertheless another useful tool which is very handy to humanity.
Having a place and time to meet can amplify our efforts and improve our chance of success in whatever venture we chose to pursue.
addition
something has occurred to me after writing the above.
Stone circles are open accessible places. Those who used them would be open to input and ideas from âoutsideâ.
Obviously this would widen the scope of possible interaction and co-operation which in turn would broaden the scope of possible opportunity available to those who used the space.
Sometimes areas of discussion become limited, their participants not so cosmopolitan. As a result a mindset that is narrow and short sighted appears.
I suppose what Iâm trying to say is that an open approach is more valuable.
However Iâm also aware that every notion has its antithesis and without borders and definition things soon become unwieldy and pretty much useless.
At this point I must let the matter rest and suggest that nothing is ever so straight forward that a few words can define it.
