Is it just me?

[Louie and me]

Hi everyone:
I've been lurking round Pet Talk for so long and always really enjoyed reading everyones pet stories and celebrating or feeling concerned about your life events.
Now that I have actually joined, I feel like a new girl at a new school and can't quite figure out where I fit in.
I'm not really comfortable replying to other peoples posts because I feel as though I may be butting in since you all know each other so well.
Is it just me or did any of you feel the same way when you first joined.

[k9krazee]

First of all, WELCOME TO PT! :D

I definitely felt the same way when I first joined, and at times I still feel like that and I've been here for over 3 years.

The best thing you can do is jump right in!

[dukedogsmom]

Welcome ot PT! I joined when my dog was Dog of the Day back in 2001. I don't think I ever felt awkward, though. Your post reminds me of an episode of the Andy Griffith show. There was a man from out of town who had been subscribing to the Mayberry paper. He was talking to people as if he knew them and they got suspicious of him and his intentions there. Anyway, sorry for rambling. Just jump right in and you'll feel at home in no time.

[Ginger's Mom]

I didn't lurk too long (only about five days) before I just couldn't stop myself from telling someone how much I liked their dog. I was nervous at first, but since it was so well received, it sort of encouraged me to post more and more. Now you can't shut me up. :) Don't worry about where you belong. Although there seem to be clique's many of us do not really know each other outside of Pet Talk, and it is our love of animals that pull us together. Some of us may have different opinions or ideas, but by sharing those opinions and ideas we learn and become better pet owners. Welcome aboard.
I'm off to see if you have introduced Louie. :)
ETA: Found it. I hope Louie is feeling better real soon.

[Freedom]

Hello, and welcome!

I'm a bit surprised you feel that way if you've been reading for a while, as you must feel like you know us, or some of us anyway!

Just jump in and post your thoughts, like that's a nice pic,cute photo. And post some of YOUR pet pics. Get active and you will get over the 'new girl' feeling.

Sandie

[Karen]

Welcome to Pet Talk. It may seem awkward at first, but everyone was "the new kid" at some point! Go ahead and post in threads, that's how we get to know each other. I have never been shy, in real life OR online, but I do understand people who are.

My name is Karen, by the way, and my pet is Miss Hoppy, the little brown bunny you see as my avatar.

[jazzcat]

Hi and welcome to PT!

I lurked for a while before I joined but then I adopted my third cat and needed some advice so I jumped in. Everyone was so helpful that I quickly felt at home.

Just jump in and start posting. I think you will find you fit in well in no time. What pets do you have? I have all cats now.

[Louie and me]

Wow - thank you all for that encouragement. Louie (DOTD Sept 25, 2002) is my only pet. I joined and wrote about him in Dog Health because he is not doing so well at the moment. In his younger days I called him Louie the Lunatic and he still keeps me on my toes despite his limitations. I'll post more in Dog General from time to time if only to give you all a giggle.
My name is Irene by the way.

[Medusa]

Greetings and welcome to PT! When I first joined, it was due to the death of a rescue and I was distraught. I left for a while and came back and now I just have to log on daily. There are wonderful people here w/lots of encouragement, kindness, knowledge and information to share and I consider most, if not all, my friends. I'm sure you'll come to feel the same way w/time. Just stick around and jump right in. :)

[sumbirdy]

I felt that way too, and sometimes still do. But as everyone else has said, just jump right in. You'll find that the people here are very welcoming. A good way to get to know people on here is to post stuff about you and your pets, a lot of times, depending on your posts, people might share similar stories and you'll get an insight into who they are.

My name is Summer by the way.

[lizbud]

I felt like that too for awhile. I started by sharing stuff about my
RB dog Buddy. He was quite a dog. :)

Just jump right in & post on anything you like. Welcome to PT.

[Laura's Babies]

I lurked for a few years but once I joined, I felt like I already knew everybody and I jumped right in with both feet.. Jump right on in, the more you post, the better we get to know you!

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Hi Irene :D You post away sweetie! You won't find a more welcoming and caring bunch of people in the world

[Rachel]

Hi Irene. Many of us feel a bit like strangers at times, even those of us who have been around from the very beginning. It is much harder now because Pet Talk is so big and it is hard to keep track of who is who at times. Just remember that this is a forum and by its very nature when a thread is posted, it is open to anyone and everyone who wants to comment. So if you have something to say, type away. You have to be a little thick skinned too and not take it personally if no one seems to *notice you*. Many of us have only a limited time to devote to the board so we might only be able to read a few threads and probably reply to less than that.

Anyway, I'm going to go check out Louie's Dog of the Day page right now.

[lizbud]

Just looked up Louis. He is such a sweet looking pupper :)

Here is is DOTD. http://dogoftheday.com/archive/2002/September/25.html

[Daisy and Delilah]

I think we all felt that way when we first joined. Welcome to PT!! My name is Terry andI'm proud Mom of Daisy and Delilah-2 Chihuahuas.

I would really follow what Rachel said. Try to be a little thick skinned. Don't let it bother you if you don't get tons of replies to a thread. Just try not to take anything personally. This is an unbelievable community here. I've never seen anything like it. Just try to reply and comment to as many threads as you can, post more pictures than I do ;) , PM people to make friends, and just take a general interest in all of the happenings and pets. You'll feel welcome very soon. :)

[anna_66]

Irene, it looks like you've already gotten a lot of great advice so I have nothing to add except...Welcome:D This is a great community and I think your going to fit right in.

Oh, and Louie is a doll! I just read your post in Dog Health about him and I do hope that he starts feeling better.

[Louie and me]

Thanks everyone for the great welcome. The reason I lurked for so long was because I worked for a big international company that was very strict about internet usage and registering was out of the question. My daily routine was to get into work at 7am, fire up the computer and go straight to Dog of the Day to catch up with all the news. I often revisited at lunch time and through the day if there was a drama unfolding like when Glacier's Delta went missing (but don't tell my boss). Now that I am retired, I'm looking forward to participating more. Don't worry - I'm not thin skinned, just a little shy.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Welcome to PT!!!:D You'll find that there are many wonderful caring people here so jump right in the water's fine.:)