Other
people are only able to control your life WITH
YOUR CONSENT.
I DON'T CONSENT!
Without
pointing any fingers or playing the "blame game", I have unilaterally
decided that I WILL control my life.
I am a member of
several "lists". I post and comment on other posts on each. If you're my
age, you probably remember them being called "bulletin boards".
They
are a "place" online where people with something in common can
"gather" to exchange pleasantries and information, ask and answer
questions and generally have an "over the back fence" or "over
the front hedge" conversation.
The "something
in common" could be personal background, neighborhood, crime watch, bucket
list, etc. Almost anything.
No one,
other than the list owner, should try to LIMIT these conversations to what THEY
think is appropriate. Like:
"Who
do you know that can repair my barn door?"
or"How do you fix a leaky faucet?" or
"Have you seen my little lost dog/cat?" or
"Be aware there some strange (looking) people in the area."
While these ARE legitimate subjects for conversation, they are certainly NOT the ONLY things to be talked about. Putting arbitrary limits on a list is a sure way to kill it.
Religious
and political discussions should be kept to a minimum because they are strictly
a matter of personal opinion and it's guaranteed someone else will have the
opposite opinion. These conversations
can and will result in someone's feelings getting hurt. GET OVER IT.
The trick is to not prolong the p***ing contest.
Take
your best shot and then walk away from the thread.
When
you talk to your neighbor over the back fence most people will joke around a bit. There is nothing wrong with this.
NO
THIRD PARTY, except the list owner or the list owners duly appointed
representative, has the right to remove someone's post or tell someone; "Don't post that", "Don't
comment that way".
A short
while back I made the mistake of allowing someone on a list to push one of my
buttons. I left a list because a third
party was offended by a comment I, jokingly, made to someone else and told me
it was "inappropriate" to joke with anyone.
That button has been disabled.
I'm
going back on the list. I will make
every effort to be neighborly.
If I
say something on that list, another list, or this blog that offends you,
you
may take your best return shot.
After that: TALK TO THE HAND
