SR - Ivar rocks

[Dennis and Dory Grace]

Ivar exclaimed:
>Dietter, I find this an admirable offer.  First of all, to volunteer to
>try to get some of the information all of us in the SR have available,
>either on the list or from those on the list passing it on, to the folks
>in the Western Alliance is a good thing since there has been some
>interest in the two groups joining.
<snip>
>Since this offer came out , I have read several outrageous messages
>against it. 
<snip>
>damn it  the idea that people can't talk about this whenever
>and wherever they want is absolutely ludicrous. And I for one will fight
>tooth and nail against anyone telling me who I can talk to and what we
>can talk about.
>
>If someone feels that it is wrong, then go to Gothic Wars and sit in
>Dietter's camp, if he will let you, and make sure they don't do anything
>you think is wrong. Otherwise shut up, the man is trying to help with the
>problem of communication, and many of you seem to think this is bad.

You go boyyyyy!!! I've been sitting here reading some posts popping up on
my screen and not knowing whether to gnash my teeth or just break out
laughing from the sheer absurdity. Seems like, to this little ol' feeble
brain of mind, it wasn't but a week or so ago that a handful of folks were
having a hissy fit about not enough communication, and now these responses
to someone actually stepping in to help do the work of engendering
communication. 

Can you say "ironic"? I knew you could.

With that out of the way, I'd like to interject the point once again (or to
begin with, if I haven't said it in this forum yet) that people will tend
to live either up or down to your expectations. If you expect or look for
negative behavior, that's exactly what you're going to find. If you expect
people to act and work with good intentions, guess what? You're more likely
to find evidence of people acting and working with good intentions. A lot
of it boils down to the kind of world view we choose to have. 

For example, to Mst. Clare's post sharing her experience of some wonderful
Ansteorran history, Meadhbh posts:
 
>> Thanks so much for the history. I think it is important that we
understand where this kingdom came from before we move forward. We should
make sure we don't make the same mistakes. <<

Not there's one thing wrong with this statement, mind you. But when I read
Clare's post, I came away thinking "That's really cool stuff. Now we have
the opportunity to have a similarly gratifying experience making history
with our friends." I didn't come away from her post thinking about
"problems," I came away thinking about possibilities and opportunities.

I believe in being realistic and being fully aware of possible problems.
However, I tend to find life as a whole fuller and more enjoyable by going
into it thinking about possibilites and opportunities. It makes dealing
with any problems that might crop up a whole lot easier.

While I think it ludicrous that there is even a hint of a need to remind
some folks this, I'd nonetheless like to offer the reminder that we're all
a family here, and while it's a tad unreasonable to expect that every
individual will always be in agreement with every other individual in the
group, clinging to negativity--whether about how well or badly something
might work, or about how someone else is evil, etc--is only going to ruin
the quality of your life and, possibly, someone else's. I think we could do
with a little less judgement about now and a whole lot more *OPEN*
communication and more than just a little more generosity and perhaps even
a little--dare I say it--trust? Maybe we can let go--at least temporarily
for those who'd have a hard time going cold turkey--of collecting rumors
and spending them coinage and assuming that everyone who's willing to
expend the personal time and effort to put in a day's work has dark and
evil personal agendas that will jump out and bite everyone else in the ass
at the first opportunity. Think?

Aquilanne
I'll be back after I've found coffee
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