No time for that

I did something yesterday I said I wouldn’t do. I read a blog. One I haven’t visited in a long time. I knew pretty much what was there and didn’t feel the need to read it. I don’t need to pick up a cow patty to know it stinks.

But a friend posted to it and I wanted to see what he had to say. As I suspected, the blogger spends 500 words trashing a group I’m affiliated with, then two sentences telling us how they don’t need to trash talk and criticizing us for bashing them. ***Edited to add: He's added another chapter to his missive. We're all liars, he's a saint, he's just trying to leave us alone, but we won't let him. SOS. It's a shoe in for this year's Geisel Medal, or at least the Newberry Award. Reminds me of one of those sit-coms where, depending on who is telling the story, one is an angel and the other is a devil and the truth is that both were at fault. Get a grip, dude.***

Their de facto leader has done a fair job of getting most of them to complete the split and tend to growing their own organization, ignoring the other. But a notable few just can’t “let it go,” even while they criticize others for not “letting it go.” They visit the site every day, some several times a day, fishing for responses to some new insult hurled from behind keyboard walls.
They’re puppets, unable to resist being baited, and they can’t even see it themselves, that they are doing exactly what they criticize others for doing and responding just like their baiter wants them to. They’re quick to spot troublemakers they disagree with (like this blog), but don’t mind posting their own irrational diatribes. And when anyone calls them on it, they claim their words were twisted to make them look bad. Hogwash. Wasn’t necessary. They condemn themselves far more eloquently that I could.

Why they feel it necessary to do this is a mystery to me. I’ve never once said anyone could not be a proud and fruitful member of both organizations. In fact, there are a few people who manage to do just that. But some feel that the only way to boost themselves is to trash the others. Being the leader of a two man race where the other guy is horrible isn’t much to brag about.

I’ve avoided all this for the most part, concentrating on making my own organizations better, and more importantly, simply trying to walk again. So don’t bother me with your “You suck, we rule, you’re wrong, we’re right, and anyone who disagrees is blind, stupid, or evil” ravings. I don’t have time for that. I have enough to worry about with an MRI in an hour that insurance won’t cover.

If someone wants to form an opinion of me based on someone else’s criticism, knock yourself out. If you decide to hate me, having never met, talked to, or geocached with me, it’s your loss not mine. Most people get to know me, then decide I’m a jerk.

I encourage all west Tennessee geocachers to heed the right honorable gentleblogger from Beech Bluff’s warning. Get to know people from both groups carefully. Attend their functions and visit their forums. I guarantee you will find a few things:

1. The vast majority of these people (in both orgs) are really pretty nice…in person.
2. You’ll be able to spot the few (in both orgs) that need to get a grip.
3. You’ll find that geocaching is a LOT of fun, but sniping in forums isn’t.
4. You’ll find that you can geocache and have fun without ANY local organization.

Mostly, you’ll find that some people fit in better in one org, others will prefer the other one, some will like both, and some will like neither, and that ALL FOUR of those possibilities are completely acceptable.