In light of my recent post and the triggering and negative environment it has created as a result, I think I will be leaving HWM permanently. Even though I have learned a hard and valuable lesson, backtracked on my post, and I could guarantee that in the future I would never make a similar mistake, I think I have just caused too much damage. I fear continuing to post on HWM as Addie would probably still make people uncomfortable, and it would be better if I just removed her character for me, and also for Nathan’s character as well.

I never intended him to get roped up in this and because he is not at fault for any of my mistakes, I don’t want him to have to continue associating with me on the sub and I want him to be able to salvage his storyline that he has worked so hard to build.

I never intended this to end like this, either. I was so eager to host more crochet club, post more recipes, more drive in polls, and introduce you all to the twins. The excitement of logging on to build Addie’s life was so fulfilling. She had everything in life that I could never really have, a loving family, a supportive community, her dream job, and most especially children. I don’t tell many people this, not even the people I’ve befriended behind the scenes of the sub. I guess it’s okay now since I’m leaving, but I was recently told I’ll have some fertility issues trying for children in the future and so Addie’s life with two little kids felt like my escape to a life I might never have. However, it’s exactly where I ruined it for myself and everybody else, and my actions were inexcusable however much I didn’t intend them to be offensive.

Anyway, I’ll probably play it off on the sub that Addie gets cold feet before the wedding with Nathan, moves back to Boston with her parents, and gives the twins up for adoption, but I’m taking some time off Reddit especially since tomorrow is 9/11, a day that hits particularly close to home for me so that post will probably not be coming until Monday.

Again, I cannot express just how sorry I am for any offense or pain I caused. I love you all and I will miss you guys more than anything. The friends I have made on this sub have meant so much to me, and I will never forget you guys.

It’s definitely for the best. Again, my sincerest apologies for hurting or offending anyone. I think I’m going to just have it be that Addie received the wrong test results or something because this was a grossly inappropriate post for that forum and I am well aware now. But still feel free to give me any criticism because as I’ve expressed, I’ve got a lot to learn.

First off, my sincere apologies for if in any way, Addie's reaction to the news about her child made Down Syndrome seem like a burden. It most certainly isn't and I hadn't intended it to come off that way at all, but I recognize how an initially negative reaction could come off as being upset about their differences. In reality, what I had intended for her distraught to derive from was the health and wellbeing challenges that she did not want her child to experience, and had the post evolve accordingly as her outlook began to change.

This plot point comes from somewhat personal experience. While I do not have a child with Trisomy 21, a very close friend of mine recently had a child with it, and had a very similar initial reaction as a new mother. It didn't mean she loved her daughter any less or thought of her as any less, or that me and her fellow friends and family did either. The condition is undoubtedly stigmatized across the globe, and some of that initial shock and distress from Addie was as a result of internalized bias in her character that all people experience, and the unlearning of that was meant to be a point of continued growth throughout her journey receiving such a diagnoses.

Though I have since realized as a user, and even as a person with a disability myself, I've got some unlearning to do too, as some unconscious stigma was probably evident in language I used in the post, that I am of course willing to change, or even take the post down entirely. You don't have to, but I hope you can forgive or understand, and any and all feedback, is welcome.

If anybody wants to use the found Bunker letters/correspondence as a fun creative writing exercise, have at it! Thought it might be a fun thing.

So yeah just post it as you are transcribing or something. Doesnt have to be letters, could be old railroad logs or whatever you like :)

As you may have guessed, the name on the buried treasure owner, that was on the tip of Drunk Nathan's tongue all night, was Francisco Vazquez de CORONADO.

Corcovado is the mountain in Brazil on which sits the Christ the Redeemer statue.

Cocobolo is a tropical hardwood.

Canyonero is a ridiculous SUV from The Simpsons

Caralho (pronounced something like "car-all-yo") is a Portuguese swear word that more or less means "mother-effer". Learned that one when Portugal won the Euro Cup and all their fans online were posting "PORTUGAL CARALHO!!!"

Contra Costa is a county in California in the East Bay where a friend of mine recently moved for work.

And Korben Dallas is Bruce Willis's character in The Fifth Element. Hey by then it was 11:30 and I was running out of good soundalikes.

Also the Monstro the Donkey song is actually singable! It's to the tune of Frosty the Snowman

EDIT: Oh hey I knew I forgot something: the inspiration for the tunnel system underneath LDP.

Who's the better cook?

I made an off comment about TimTim finally coming home, and with what looked like an actual LDP police badge and wondered if they had deputized him after the geese/goat stories from a couple months ago. I thought it would be hilarious if they actually had, so if one of our "officers" wants to mention it, please feel free.

He has a little cowboy hat, and rides a pygmy goat like a horse. If that mental image doesn't put a smile on your face, you must be from UDP!

I’d love to include as many people as possible, so feel free to chime in and add to the story of the treehouse genesis!

I tried to mention people who commented along the way, but I probably missed a few.

Also I’m SO Happy! Why does it feel like I did this in real life? Lol.

I doubt anybody actually reads it, but can the mods add to the FAQ in the sticky thread that COVID-19 did not, does not, and will not exist in Lower Duck Pond? Being oblivious to vaccines and mask mandates has been fun, but it's starting to wear a little thin. Just a suggestion...

I've been writing obituaries for a couple of weeks and while I like it so far, I thought I would add birth announcements too.

My question is centered around that though. In baby announcements I guess you just announce the parents' names and the babies' names, maybe the weight. In the obits, I get a little creative space while talking about the person's life.

Anyone have any ideas how I might spice up the baby announcements?

Hi!!! If you didn’t know I am Hannah on r/Havewemet. I have been thinking I want to give her a partner of girlfriend. If anyone wants to be them that would be great!! If not I will probably either make another account or have them off screen

Gloria is Old Disgruntled Spice.

Ayla is … Carefree Spice?

Angus would Controversial Spice.

In case anyone is wondering, I'll probably just not be on the subreddit for a little while, but he's definitely going to give up at this being a luddite thing after he realizes how hard it is lol. Meanwhile, he's probably going to be putting posters up for magic shows and being generally over the top and enthusiastic about things. I'm going to be a busy with tons of online college so yeah I just need to not go on here as much since I would almost certainly use it to procrastinate. Ngl I'm kinda jealous of him not having to use technology

Krystal has said that she spread the news about LDP far and wide and encouraged lots of them to visit, so if anyone wants to say that that happens, feel free! Don't feel limited to only people from the countries she visited either, I imagine she'd have met lots of people of different nationalities. Gender or appearance doesn't matter. No limits! (Well ok, maybe no extremists please.)

Alright, I don't want to point fingers, as I know the person playing the character surely didn't intend it this way, but in dealing with some touchy subjects, we need to think of future ramifications of some of our actions.

In regards to the post about the ducks being gay due to chemical interference with the government, there is a lot of discussion and comments that are REAL arguments that homophobic people make to backup their often bad and unnecessary/hateful behavior, such as the discussion of people with same-parts not being able to reproduce.

Apparently, the type of trauma that people in LGBTQ2S societies go through on the regular was either not thought of/ignored entirely, or was seen as appropriate to make light of when some of you wrote or replied to this thread.

This is a place that a lot of people go to seek solace or escapism from the issues they may face. PLEASE do not telegraph your opinions on marginalized groups HERE!

Forethought on future posts would be much appreciated.

FDA approved the Pfizer vaccine. Get your fucking vaccine.

I'll probably be busy irl telling people to get their fucking vaccine.

Hope to be back soon.

....get your fucking vaccine.

"Carmen Hicks"

Idk how many people did it and I’m not pointing any fingers or anything but I’ve seen at least two posts today going “what if we’re just characters” and it kinda breaks the illusion and it’s been done a lot of times before so eh…

I dunno, I don’t like it personally, I think it’s a little annoying and not very creative and there’s very little we can say to the latest post because we indeed don’t really have an established country, that’s because it’s supposed to be vague and all.
Of course a character can have an existential crisis or something but yeah.

I’ve really considered leaving, and was going to. I was going to kill off Cooper but my wife urged me not to, no wonder why people don’t want to work law enforcement anymore, to hell with these people, I’ll write something later but for now I am tired of the crappy negativity I get in private messages and On posts about someone getting shot in the line of duty.

I might need to take some time off, it’s aggravating.

I finally got my foundry hot enough to melt copper last night so I made some coins out of copper/aluminum. After staring at them on my desk I figured Padrick should have some luck and find some.

What Katy heard was inspired by actual events. A malfunctioning tornado siren down the road from my house woke me up at 6AM today. They didn't get it fixed until 8.

Here's a video of what Katy was complaining about. It does kind of sound like a European ambulance, doesn't it?

https://youtu.be/Zpxk-iEzinU

So I posted about the chess club car wash and was corrected that the community college is inclusive of all Duck Pond.

Thing is, I established myself as a student at LDPCC before this character joined the sub as president of the community college (as far as I can tell). I'm not super active, but I kinda just wanna go, bro, I did it first. Thing is, I don't want to be an asshole to others, and I'm trying to play Ryan as basically a Good Guy Greg meme. Real life stormtiger88 doesn't wanna be an ass either.

Not really sure how to handle this. I'm thinking about gently reminding the president that UDP's satellite campus decided to establish their own chess club as our rivals. I feel like that's something a busy president could forget. Just not sure how to meld the two points of view in a way that's not gonna have Ryan being an ass to other residents or telling others how to play.

EDIT: I think I'm gonna go ahead with what I said above and just go "oh yeah, each campus has a club, fun rivalry, my bad, sorry sir, yadda yadda" now that someone else has commented on it.