Guys,
I have only popped in and out on this thread, and I know that you all know SO much more than I do about the circumstances/details about Sara's disappearance, so I am very humbly posting this. I am unable to be on WS much these days, as RL has ramped up at fever pitch, but I have always wanted to say something to you guys on this thread...I just have never felt I've had anything very useful to add. So this is my attempt to do a tiny something.
It's obvious how much effort and care you all have put forth for Sara. Bless you all. :heartbeat:
My post is two-fold: 1) to explain what I did when I felt utterly stuck on a previous case and 2) to bring Sara -
who she is - front and center - as so many of you have so thoughtfully expressed wanting to continue to do.
Brainstorming/notes
So with that said, regarding #1 (above):
With one case I was following, I took notes (on my own) on the three most probable scenarios of why the person was missing. I did a "this supports this theory" brainstorming on those three possibilities - and I just let whatever hit flow on paper. Whenever a fact of the case hit my brain, I went back to add that into the section to support whichever of the three theories. I had a gut instinct about which theory was right from practically the beginning of this particular case (my gut was that the person left voluntarily), but I promised myself that I'd remain completely objective and not withhold anything - if something hit my brain that supported my least-favorite (the sad) options, I'd write those supporting arguments down. Between my job, family responsibilities and mundane stuff like doing the laundry (lol), it took about two weeks for my brain -- bit by bit -- to unclog (and then jot down) every single thing crammed into it that finally sifted to the forefront -- that fell into one of the three likely scenarios.
I was *shocked* at how much info I had actually gleaned, from following the case -- the brain is a mysterious thing, and we take in so much more than we consciously realize. The "stuff" that was shoved into my subconscious just needed time to shift to the forefront. Much of what was crammed in there were posted comments/facts/observations/photos, etc. from fellow WSers on the thread...and a few things were the nagging, tiny things I had noticed myself ~ but not fully processed.
Interestingly, the "brainstorming evidence" in this ^ particular case OVERWHELMINGLY backed up that the missing person took off on her own...and about two weeks later, she did indeed surface.
So...this #1 thing is sorta like a "go ahead -- try to prove it" method. I wouldn't really recommend laying this brainstorming method out on the thread (for several reasons), but it may provide clarity/insight, if you try this on your own.
Facts on Sara
But for the purposes of this thread, moving on to #2 (above): I *was* going to suggest that you guys may want to state facts about Sara. Who is Sara? What is really, truly known about her? Within TOS. I do not have a FB account, which is probably good, because I never seem to grasp the rules about FB. But here is what I mean, as far as the listing of "Things We KNOW About Sara" posts you can make, if this sounds good (I'm making these things up, below, as examples):
1) Sara bought a dog on (give the date) -- back up with legit link.
2) Sara's last twitter message was (quote the message) -- back up with link.
3) Sara's special interests were (list) -- back up with link.
Etc.
And the point of doing this? (Good question
)...You may see patterns...You may discover something that could help you piece together something vital...you may have "A ha!" moments.
But at the very least, Sara will be highlighted - and maybe, just maybe, Sara will be understood more...and that seems like a good thing.
*************
