The fact that you even said it took a lot of "official" emotional strength shows that you clearly are making a joke of how the GKAs try to be super "official". On that front, I agree, people take the GKAs way too seriously and people (including the event staff) try to make it all way too "official". You definitely can't sit there and act like you've never made a joke of the GKAs though, as you've regularly said "oh, no one ever votes for me for the GKAs" when you drop out of them every year. You only do this as a joke, because you know you do get votes, and in fact you've gotten quite a few and before dropping out, were likely to win best signature, and you've been up there for a lot of awards in the past. You were certainly trying to bring home a point about how "official" the GKAs are by using the word "official" as an enhancer for practically every noun in your Life Advice post.
Why did you, this time, wait until the voting was almost over, before dropping out, when in previous years you dropped out immediately? Seems incredibly silly and you wasted a lot of people's time as well as their votes in the initial round which could have gone to someone else. Then you made a big thread about it in Life Advice? I don't want to hear it. Even if it wasn't a troll thread, the fact that you are trying to argue that you weren't using the word official on purpose is ridiculous; you obviously were. And to imply we can actually come to you and expect an honest answer when you know you have dragged out jokes before in the past, even to staff members, is laughable at best.
If you want us to take you seriously, why not try being serious every once in a while?
Because Rep it results in this pathetic situation we are in now. I'm trying to be taken seriously now, but oh gosh I made a joke about the GKA's so that makes me exempt from ever holding a serious conversation around the event? You are being rather horrible towards me with all these fair weather assumptions. I make jokes around everything including situations that I find upsetting which is my own way of dealing with emotional issues. Making a big deal and pouring my heart out isn't something I usually do, I don't know how you can still sit on your all knowing throne and say "you aren't being serious Dan". I hate doing this but I must do it based on the Orange principal.
I know it was wrong for me to allow myself to get into the final round, but I thought I was strong enough this year to deal with the outcome. As that outcome was getting closer and closer I began to realise perhaps I wasn't as strong as I thought, WHICH is why I made a thread in the first place about this issue and explained over there why I had second thoughts and wanted others to chime in about it. There were a couple of healthy posts that allowed me to rethink my postion and that is why I excluded myself yet again. Although you should already know this because I imagine you at least read what you were deleting first.
The problem is Rep you are married to the idea that I can never be serious, and you won't let anything break your marriage with your Ill thought. I can be very serious and people that have held many discussions with me in the past can vouch for that, I thought you were one of those people, so I'm sorry for believing that. The reason I'm not serious about my emotions on the forum is due to it being unnecessary to me and others. Why on mars would some stranger want to read up on someone's life they care little for? We are here to enjoy ourselves.
I didn't use the word official that much and I used it in hopes of making my situation look at little less pathetic. I know it's incredibly sad that someone can hold stress over forum awards but here I am.
So Jamie if you ever one day say something along the lines of "I wonder why that specimen Dan is never serious" print this discussion out and staple it onto your forehead and look in the mirror.
I'll carry on bringing this situation up till you get it through your head that I was completely serious in that thread, might take 100 years to break your stubborn thoughts.