Separate But Equal
Herding Cats And Watching Bats
There's these times in your life where you receive these flashes of insight that are supposed to make you a better person. Unfortunately, what it usually means when it happens to me is that I should have seen the obvious a long while ago. (Cue up Joe Walsh's "Life of Illusion")
I had one hell of a good time at the "Blown-Star Blogmeet". Just want to get that said right up front. Aside from some minor car flame-age issues, I don't know that I'd want to change anything about what went on, save getting by on less sleep so I could hang out some more with the other attendees.
The blogmeet as it happened wasn't the event I would have planned. In conversations this year and last year with Beth and Christina, I'd voiced my opinion for one huge gathering, where bloggers from all walks of life and political affiliations could attend, mingle, drink, smoke, bloviate, and then head home with maybe a bit more in common with other bloggers, maybe even those you don't ever read, or even like all that much. Hey, call me a consensus builder if you must. It's a big scary world out there, and having a few extra folks watching your back never hurts.
We had that for one night last weekend. A bit crowded & noisy, perhaps, but for one brief shining evening, the Jawja crew and the Texas crew and all the other bloggers from hither and yon came together for some righteous 'cue, copious brew, and wontons, too. In the cruelest backstab of irony since Abe Lincoln said "Hey, Mary! My headache's gone! Let's go see that new play at Ford's Theater!", I missed the whole frickin' thing. Hey, shit happens. Could've been much worse.
From there, though, the blogmeet split on two separate camps and never reconnected, aside from one guy in a slightly singed Caddy puttering up I-35 into north Austin for some shootin' and a picnic.
While the north Austin crew was shootin', grillin' and drinkin' up in Pflugerville and Round Rock, the south Austin crew was singin', pickin' and drinkin' back at the Holiday Inn. I think it's fair to say each group had a great time. I sure did, though it scraped at my anal-retentive soul that we couldn't all be one happy blog family all weekend.
I just got to the point where I wanted to latch ahold the each blogcrew in turn and say "Look! Those are good people up there! Sure, they're full of Red State piss & vinegar and whinge about the liberals and the hippies and carry big shiny weapons, but at heart they're solid citizens!" followed by "Hey! Don't be scared of the Blown-Eyeds sittin' aroung pickin' and grinnin'! Yeah, they drink like fish and curse like sailors, and maybe are a little laissez-faire on the political front, but damn, they're a fun crowd!"
Didn't happen, though, and maybe never will, and that's the point that got hammered into my oft-times thick skull.
People are gonna do what people are gonna do. Doesn't mean they don't get along, or that you've failed in your festivity planning. The agenda often gets set before you even arrive on the scene. No matter how logical and neatly-wrapped your ideas may seem, they might be the farthest thing from what anyone else wants. Which is another thing that scrapes at my anal-retentive soul, but that's MY problem to deal with, not yours!
So, lesson learned, and all that. I'm gonna try to take these things in stride, concentrate on the moment, and just let the blogfest work itself out. It doesn't need a guiding hand on the rudder, especially one that drives like mine! I'm pretty sure everyone will be happier that way!
See y'all next go-round, you crazysexycool Blown-Eyed Blodgers!! Can't hardly wait!
There's these times in your life where you receive these flashes of insight that are supposed to make you a better person. Unfortunately, what it usually means when it happens to me is that I should have seen the obvious a long while ago. (Cue up Joe Walsh's "Life of Illusion")
I had one hell of a good time at the "Blown-Star Blogmeet". Just want to get that said right up front. Aside from some minor car flame-age issues, I don't know that I'd want to change anything about what went on, save getting by on less sleep so I could hang out some more with the other attendees.
The blogmeet as it happened wasn't the event I would have planned. In conversations this year and last year with Beth and Christina, I'd voiced my opinion for one huge gathering, where bloggers from all walks of life and political affiliations could attend, mingle, drink, smoke, bloviate, and then head home with maybe a bit more in common with other bloggers, maybe even those you don't ever read, or even like all that much. Hey, call me a consensus builder if you must. It's a big scary world out there, and having a few extra folks watching your back never hurts.
We had that for one night last weekend. A bit crowded & noisy, perhaps, but for one brief shining evening, the Jawja crew and the Texas crew and all the other bloggers from hither and yon came together for some righteous 'cue, copious brew, and wontons, too. In the cruelest backstab of irony since Abe Lincoln said "Hey, Mary! My headache's gone! Let's go see that new play at Ford's Theater!", I missed the whole frickin' thing. Hey, shit happens. Could've been much worse.
From there, though, the blogmeet split on two separate camps and never reconnected, aside from one guy in a slightly singed Caddy puttering up I-35 into north Austin for some shootin' and a picnic.
While the north Austin crew was shootin', grillin' and drinkin' up in Pflugerville and Round Rock, the south Austin crew was singin', pickin' and drinkin' back at the Holiday Inn. I think it's fair to say each group had a great time. I sure did, though it scraped at my anal-retentive soul that we couldn't all be one happy blog family all weekend.
I just got to the point where I wanted to latch ahold the each blogcrew in turn and say "Look! Those are good people up there! Sure, they're full of Red State piss & vinegar and whinge about the liberals and the hippies and carry big shiny weapons, but at heart they're solid citizens!" followed by "Hey! Don't be scared of the Blown-Eyeds sittin' aroung pickin' and grinnin'! Yeah, they drink like fish and curse like sailors, and maybe are a little laissez-faire on the political front, but damn, they're a fun crowd!"
Didn't happen, though, and maybe never will, and that's the point that got hammered into my oft-times thick skull.
People are gonna do what people are gonna do. Doesn't mean they don't get along, or that you've failed in your festivity planning. The agenda often gets set before you even arrive on the scene. No matter how logical and neatly-wrapped your ideas may seem, they might be the farthest thing from what anyone else wants. Which is another thing that scrapes at my anal-retentive soul, but that's MY problem to deal with, not yours!
So, lesson learned, and all that. I'm gonna try to take these things in stride, concentrate on the moment, and just let the blogfest work itself out. It doesn't need a guiding hand on the rudder, especially one that drives like mine! I'm pretty sure everyone will be happier that way!
See y'all next go-round, you crazysexycool Blown-Eyed Blodgers!! Can't hardly wait!
A Life Of Illusion
(J. Walsh, K. Passarelli)
Sometimes I can't help the feeling that I'm
Living a life of illusion
And oh, why can't we let it be
And see thru the hole in this wall of confusion
I just can't help the feeling I'm
Living a life of illusion
Pow, right between the eyes
Oh, how nature loves her little surprises
Wow, it all seems so logical now
It's just one of her better disguises
And it comes with no warning
Nature loves her little surprises
Continual crisis
Hey, don't you know it's a waste of your day
Caught up in endless solutions
That have no meaning, just another hunch
Based upon jumping conclusions
Caught up in endless solutions
Backed up against a wall of confusion
Living a life of illusion
posted by El Capitan | 5:08 PM
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