Here I am cruel world... and I’m not going anywhere. Who cares?? I’m not sure... but in my delusional online life, I fancy that someone might notice if I show up or not! Maybe, maybe not! Oh well! Luckily, at times, I do have a life away from the Internet, so I’ll survive either way! Unfortunately, I’ve noticed many a DKos blogger opting to quit and leave us for dead. I’m sincerely quite sad about this since it seems the bad behavior of a few is causing many of us to be "punished." The loss of so many articulate and positive voices who once felt this place was worth their time and effort is bound to have a negative effect.
So, it’s with great fanfare, I announce to you – I’m not going anywhere!
I realize there are now a couple of diaries up expressing similar sentiments, but I wrote this last night before seeing any others. Forgive me if it's beating a dead horse, but I wanted to say my piece, too. Here it is...
Okay, so, I’m not a famous blogger like Keith Olbermann or John Kerry. I’m not a front pager like mcjoan or Bill in Portland Maine (who really works for me - BTW). I don’t have just one main issue that keeps me particularly focused like the marvelous nyceve or the awesome angry rakkasan. No, generally speaking, I’m pretty indistinguishable from the average reader/commenter here at DKos, for the most part.
I’ve only written one diary that, like so many appearing on the list each day, simply disappeared into obscurity with barely a glance, though one of the rescue rangers did like it. Much to my surprise, I made it into top comments a couple of times – maybe a year ago or so! I’ve spent weeks where I barely interacted here and others where I put in my two cents on loads of topics. Nevertheless, however small a part of this community I am, I do spend a lot of time hanging out here and I REFUSE to let the candidate diaries drive me away. (I’m an elementary school teacher... Never underestimate the tenacity of those who spend their days with small, runny-nosed, attention-deficient, overly-pampered, precocious, wonderous children! Don’t get me wrong, I love every minute of it! But, I am a survivor!) I will not be leaving anytime soon, at least.
I’m staying because of things I find on Daily Kos like:
...IGTNT – the diary that honors the lives, contributions, and families of those lost in war.
...amazing diarists like nyceve, Brandon Friedman, and teacherken who enlighten us regularly about their specialty issues of healthcare, the military, and education.
...wonderful bloggers like rserven, who open their souls to the rest of us in order to share unique personal perspectives and amazing poetry, encouraging our own reflections.
...insightful and intelligent frontpagers who keep us up to date with more depth than can be found in any traditional media source.
...rescue rangers who comb the diaries each day to sort some of the wheat from the chaff and make sure we get a second chance to read some of the good ones.
...the links provided by diarists and commenters, keeping us up-to-date on current events.
...the photo bloggers who illustrate events of importance happening all over the country and world for us to see.
...wonderful human beings from all over this planet who inhabit the regular weekly diaries dwelling on thoughtful living through gardening, reading, cooking, and eating, for example.
...and all the amazing people who continue to show up, interact, and share their amazing knowledge and talents with the rest of us.
Daily Kos may not be a perfect place... In a comment I made recently, I likened the behavior here to that of the kids in The Lord of the Flies. We are trying to behave, trying to establish order, but our human nature leads some to be emotional and sometimes barbaric to one another. It’s not okay to behave that way... I don’t condone it. But, much like family life, I’m willing to take the bad along with the good. As with any good idea that has flaws, I’m willing not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. As with living in America, I’m willing to love it and NOT leave it! I’m committed to this relationship, and until this site cheats on me, I’m not going anywhere!
Since this site is open to just about anyone who wishes to walk through the doors... no jacket or shoes required – and the rating system of recommends and hiding comments allows us to police ourselves, we are a diverse and often moody group. We come here with varied levels of education, age, experience, and emotional stability. Unfortunately, some people confuse angry diatribes with passion. Some people equate cynical, hate-filled rants with advocating for a position. And, many well-meaning, concerned citizens are so upset about what’s been happening to our country, that it’s hard to see straight and contain the rage!
I must say I have stayed almost completely out of the candidate diaries in order to keep from having my joy of life sucked out of my soul. I have apparently worn my rose-colored glasses long enough to have missed much of the vitriol being flung about here. I will continue to do so, paying attention to the positive and inspiring posters and ignoring the dividers. I will not give up on a site that has sustained me through some of the most difficult years endured by those of us who are paying attention... many of us who have felt, personally, the losses associated with a lying sack of crap (GWB) sending our kids to war as pawns... many of us who have made acquaintances or contacts that have helped us to find positive outlets for our frustrations such as protests, petitions, and campaigns to support.
For those who plan to stay for awhile, I’ll be seeing you around. I look forward to our continued efforts of trying to make the planet a better place. Hopefully, we’ll all have the strength and wisdom to ignore those who really only mean to divide and conquer us. And, perhaps, the ones who are simply overly zealous about a cause will learn a thing or two about conducting dignified campaigns that others will want to join.
It’s sad that many have reached the saturation point and feel compelled to write GBCW diaries. I will miss the wonderful blogging abilities, the direct experiences and links relating to specific topics, as each leaves in search of a more under-control, less hostile community. To those who need a break, I hope you will find what you are looking for, AND I hope you will always consider coming back when some of the sh*t-disturbers settle down. Me – well, I’ll be hanging around and looking forward to your return. Take care.