Oh sure, they look pretty in the greenhouse. Pretty enough for a certain 8 year old to want some.
"No. It's too hot. They'll die. We're getting petunias. Dark, velvety, purple petunias. Mamma holds the checkbook and I'm not buying flowers that I know will die."
Oh hell, grandma's got her checkbook too and she never says no. And now I've got pansies dying in pots.
Wow... I've been away from here a lot longer than I thought. I spent last week in the fetal position reminding myself to breathe. This week I saw a gastroenterologist who tells me I need to see an ob/gyn. Apparently I am destined to feel like I am dying once a month while the doctors hand me off like a football. My concern is that I will eventually drop so much weight that I really will get picked up by the wind and blown to god knows where. Oh well, I'll keep seeing one specialist after another until either my health insurance says no more, someone finds the answer to the problem, or I die. Patti is to lead the dance across my grave if the later should happen. We've decided on The Hustle. It will be a good time I'm sure.
In other news, my site stats have picked up significantly the past day or two. Either people are concerned for my well being and are checking for updates or they are looking for my take on the fracture in my particular web community. Since I already covered my health, let's move on to the community thing.
I describe it as a fracture because that's what it is. It happens all the time. Too many people step out onto the ice at once (the community gets too big) and it cracks. You either drown or you hop the crack and end up standing on the side you felt most compelled to jump to. If you're lucky, you're standing amongst friends. Most often you'll find you've jumped to the wrong side.
It is my humble opinion that it's best to just scamper clear the hell off the ice when you hear the first *pop*. Grab as many friends as you can and run to safety. When it's all said and done and everyone is patched up, the community heals and the cycle starts again.
Sounds simple, huh? Well it's not. I do a great job of staying out of the middle of this kind of stuff. It's one of my better qualities - the ability to stay friends with practically everyone involved in a brawl. I do so strictly by keeping my opinion to myself. If the situation doesn't concern me, I simply do not get involved, express an opinion, take a side... nothing. nada. leave me out. This plays directly against the part of my personality that wants to defend my true friends til death. Screw with them and run the risk of me planting my foot squarely in your backside.
I have a mechanism in place for this too. If my friends are handling it well all by themselves, I can stay removed. They know I love them, support them, and am here if they need me. So far those closest to me are doing a bang up job of holding their own. It doesn't directly concern me so I'm out. When it's over, I'll apply the bandaids and do whatever I can to bring everyone back together.
Those of you who aren't involved yet still feel the need to run your mouth... please don't. You are adding nothing to the process and nothing is exactly what you'll end up with when it's done. Just come over here with me and watch in awe and amazement as the healing begins. It's an amazing process of tearing down the bad, tossing out the rubbish and building something stronger out of what's left over.
