[LeelandS]

When I first saw Andy Baker post that in the thread, it really got me thinking. JVN and Paul's subsequent posts kept me thinking. This was my conclusion:

As member of FIRST, as mentors and students and volunteers, alumni, parents and everything in between, we are part of something great. That's our ice cream. FIRST is our ice cream. We (and I hope I'm not speaking for anyone incorrectly) love everything we do here. We know we're causing changes in the world that could save the world from whatever problems that're erupting. We are sparking the next culture change. And I love every moment of it. I love FIRST. Or... I love ice cream! And there are parts of FIRST I can look at and feel an overwhelming sense of pride. Parts that I can think to myself "Wow. I'm really a part of all this. I, one of tens of thousands of kids who do this, am living a dream." Those are the flavors we like!

That being said, there are parts of FIRST that I don't like. I won't get into that, but there are parts of FIRST that we're not all thrilled with. With an organization as big as FIRST, there's not way we can all be happy with every part. Those are the flavors of ice cream we don't like. Now I'm not particularly fond of some of these parts. But I respect that someone out there, who is part of the same global organization as me, enjoys it. Appreciates it. Takes part in it. Other people like different flavors of ice cream.

In the end, I can look at everything like a kid in an ice cream store. I like that flavor, and that flavor, and that flavor. But I don't like that flavor. But you know what? Just because I don't like a few flavors in the ice cream shop doesn't mean I'm going to turn around and find an ice cream shop that ONLY has flavors I like. That's impossible. Never gonna happen. I'm going to stick to the flavors I like, and maybe once in a while I'll try a new one or try a flavor I thought I didn't like, and maybe I'll find a flavor I really like! But I know that there are flavors I like, and I know I'll always be able to turn back to those when I need a pick me up.

In short (and in FIRST terms), I love FIRST. FIRST has been my life for the past 8 years. FIRST and I have had our ups and downs, but I love it dearly. There are parts I like about it, and parts I don't like. And as much as I think about leaving FIRST (which is more than I care to admit), I could never bring myself to leave all the parts of FIRST that I love without a very good reason.

That's my interpretation of things, anyway. I love ice cream. FIRST = ice cream. I love FIRST!