As we're almost through fall and heading on into winter, it would be prudent to note that this is the FYE/SSB community's first DDR winter. Indeed, this is also my first fall and winter with DDR in my life, and it hasn't been easy.  I think we can sum up winter in one word: pants. 
        Yes, I said pants.  In the summer, you have a choice: whether you're in the mood for wearing shorts or pants.  Not so in the winter, unless you're a fan of goosebumps and hypothermia.  In the winter we have very limited attire to choose from.  Gone are the shorts, tshirts, tank tops, sandals, et al of the summer.  However, one can easily wear any of these underneath warmer garments, but then it becomes a matter of switching from freezing environment outside to a hot and sweaty aura on the DDR machine, and the juxtaposition
ain't cool.  Plus, contrary to popular recommendation, I like playing in sandals.
         However, that's just one faucet of winter, and not as pertinent as another topic: winter personalities.  People have been complaining about how there has either been an excess of hostility or an excess of boredom.  For starters, let's make mention of the highlights of September: School starts.Work starts.  Work is assigned.  Early mornings.  Warmer clothes. 
Deadlines/due dates.  RESPONSIBILITIES. 
         Free time becomes limited by these responsibilities. Groups cannot convene as often as they did in the summer.  Friends drift away as new ones are met.  Loyalties change.  Also note that it is statistically proven that teenage relationships are more likely to end in the month of September than any other month.  September isn't just the return of a routine, it is CHANGE.
Change isn't necessarily good or bad, but it is inevitable.  It will and must happen.
         So what can the DDR community do about change and its autumn influx? Can we fight it, or just sit back and let it happen? The answer is neither. We cannot fight it, because we only end up fighting amongst ourselves.  We can't allow it to simply happen without us, because then we get lost in the tide. We have to acknowledge it, respect it, and go with it.  We can't expect
things to stay the way they were during the summer.  Besides, the community is made up of individual people, there is no one collective sentience to blame (well maybe Ted, he IS the Messiah, but I would strongly advise against it). 
         In all seriousness, Ted is the only constant.  He ran the store in the summer, and he runs the store now.  Our DDR lives revolve around him (eek, sounds like I'm worshipping).  But if we all want to be a part of HIS community, we have to accept the changes and try to change with them, and hopefully retain DDR in our lives at the same time.  Yes, the winter makes us
all more self-centered and self-aware - think of Christmas, the day when we believe ourselves to be entitled to gifts! - but if we try hard enough, we can keep the positive stuff going like it's summer all over again. 
    23 days left! 

M[erry]DDRL
Mike, Hdefined