I got to thinking about others on this forum who have likely passed away over the years that we don't know about.
Robert was obviously one of the most popular forum members and had numerous friends on here. At least one of those friends kept in close enough personal contact to be able to report the sad news shortly after it happened.
I have only been an active member on here for about a year, virtually a rookie by AP standards, but it doesn't take long to realize that many members who posted with regularity seem to have suddenly vanished. Some had hundreds, or even thousands, of posts to their names and yet in some cases not a single one of those were posted in the past few years. I'd have to think any community of several thousand people is going to have some who have left them over an eight or nine year period, and the AP is surely no exception.
I guess it's just something to reflect on. Speaking personally, some of the smartest and warmest people I've ever met and had the pleasure of knowing have been in my short time here on the AP.
Many of you have made terrific lifelong friendships, whereas others have never spoken to an AP member outside of the forum...much less met them in person. But we're here out of common interest, a love of history in a general sense and topics such as Romanov/Royalty/WWI more specifically. We come from all parts of the world and share an awful lot of our time on this site. So while, for many, the term 'online friendships' are different than actual friendships, keep in mind the hours you've spent on here and the months or years you've been on here. Keep in mind how much you've learned...and not just historical facts on the topics themselves, but the influences from members sharing their thoughts and feelings, the personal generosity and wisdom gained, and perhaps even some life lessons learned.
I often look at an old photograph or painting of the IF (among others) and reflect deeply. It's moving to me in a way much more than just as a moment captured in time. It creates illusions and speaks to me at a higher level. By this token so does something as basic as words on a screen, like the many thousands that I've read here on the AP forum. Pictures are important, words are important, feelings & emotion is important...PEOPLE are important. You never know who and from where some of the most influential people to your lives are going come from. Sometimes they aren't always those who you see often or shared many experiences with. Sometimes they exist on the surface as only pictures or words...but manage to completely transcend that text and those visions.
Again I say RIP to Robert Hall and cheers to all of our fallen Comrades here on the AP! Be your passing be known to us and honored or not...
