Not sure if the times are different, or if I feel differently, or both.

I have been absent for about 3+ years since I had to change my name and all the other stuff that goes along with being gone.
I was around when TER first took off with a vengeance against the ones whom wished to keep us from the activity! (some where around 2003 or so.) To give freedom to the hobbyist and the provider alike was a great time!    
Wow! what a difference time makes. There is very little activity on the board today unlike "back then" and there is hardly no personal interaction between providers and hobbyist  because of several reasons by "Staff" which I'm sure happened due to legality issues.  
Now, I understand that times have changed and risks have evolved and security had to increase. However, I feel that it has lost some of the fun and the "ease" of the hobby. It is a simple loss to me that I could be part of one group and that to be accepted by another group without much consideration by any.  
Well, I found myself trying to make an appointment with someone recently and had to go through hoops  to see them to get an appointment to have fun. I don't blame that person/s because that is the way it is. I am just making an observation on how it is now.
I am not trying to underline that fact that things have changed due to security but to say that I miss that past!
enough said!
Maybe this will enlighten me on how things are great now!.......

Everyone knows that feeling.  However, life has to change, to evolve.  It is why we are now adults, why people are born, why people die, why things get better...or worse.

The beauty of how things are today can be masked on dwelling.  Reminiscing is one thing, dwelling is a beast of its own.  
A little history of the past couple years.  There were a few trolls here and there that frustrated many of the regulars.  The thing is, many of the regular hobbyists left, because there was unnecessary drama.  However, several still have remained.
I recommend focusing on this part:  The problem is well-known, and there are many of us sticking with it and trying to bring things back around.  Also, the close-knit group of providers that has developed in MN has made the hobby experience exceedingly better, IMO. Based on getting to know individual hobbyists (both gents and ladies), I am able to recommend other great ladies (whom I have become good friends with) that I think they would also enjoy.  I also get many clients that were recommended by these other ladies.  We look out for each other.  There are several of us in Minnesota that do this because we genuinely like it.  We have other businesses and many other options that we could be doing.  We have some amazing, smart, gorgeous women in this area, and we really love each other.  That is a quality that I would be curious if any other city has developed.  The feeling of competition just isn't there!  

Anyway, I do hope that you can embrace the new while helping us to learn from the joys of the past and bring back that part that we all want

Thank you for posting,
TL

END OF MESSAGE

I have been a member of TER since 2001 and been in the hobby long before that and yes the last few years have really changed. Used to be a much more open community around here. I miss that but it's never going back that way so we all have changed and adapted to live with it.

Things have changed.  Some for the better, some for the worse.  And some things go in cycles.  For me, the quantity is less but the ones I see at least semi-regularly are all really fine providers.