(no subject)
Hmmm, headaches make me rather grumpy.
So I jumped online last night and happened to read a fairly scathing commentary (good grief, such bile) on the Potter craze in a completely unexpected place, because I don't deliberately go anywhere I know will house such unpleasantness ; my good mood evaporated immediately. Unfortunately, it's not isolated, and, you know, today it's Harry Potter, tomorrow it's something else. Really, how does it hurt anyone if others are glad and excited for something? I would really like someone to tell me how/why enthusiasm over a book is annoying...
There are a lot of you out there, and some of you I know better than others. Some of you have known me for a while, or if not, have come to know me fairly well in a shorter time - you guys already know what I'm going to say next. But it's very likely that newer people on my friends list may not really "get" this about me, so let me make myself extra clear: I love enthusiasm. You will never hear me criticizing anyone for the things they squee over. It doesn't matter if I have no interest in what you care about, because that is not the point. Happiness comes in all kinds of forms, and there is enough sorrow and tragedy in the world. Gladness makes my freaking day. Got it? I feel rather strongly about this, and I consider it important enough to include in my welcome post. Full disclosure, you know?
koalathebear wrote a wonderful post touching on this topic and others here. If you haven't already (since I know we have overlap in our flists), you may want to read it. She said it better (and nicer) than I could, because I'm afraid I'm not entirely rational when people are dismissive, unkind or outright mean, particularly towards glad things in the world. I don't ask anyone to share my passions or enthusiasms, and I certainly don't go around forcing them on anyone. If people read my posts, I assume it's because they want to be here. If they don't like what I have to say, the solutions are pretty simple.
To embrace, encourage and cherish enthusiasm is really a life philosophy for me, and it has nothing to do with Harry Potter specifically because this sort of negativity is everywhere in the world, and I will never understand it. And I will never understand the malicious glee of people who enjoy throwing cold water over the gladness of others.
The negativity I've come across has been eating me a little, and this is what happens. I have the feeling that I've probably ranted about this before, but I don't care. I don't apologize for my opinions, just for breaking my own rule of not ranting. *sigh* And yes, I do realize that I've probably offended at least some of you...
To make up for the rant, here's some pretty:
Photo of a flower taken by N's father.
Cherry blossoms in DC.
*Cherry blossom photos taken by me in 2006. I've posted them before, but they can do with being reposted, right? Pretty is pretty. :)
One last thing: I can't stop listening to David Darling's cello music! So haunting and mesmerizing....I wish it would make my headache go away!
So I jumped online last night and happened to read a fairly scathing commentary (good grief, such bile) on the Potter craze in a completely unexpected place, because I don't deliberately go anywhere I know will house such unpleasantness ; my good mood evaporated immediately. Unfortunately, it's not isolated, and, you know, today it's Harry Potter, tomorrow it's something else. Really, how does it hurt anyone if others are glad and excited for something? I would really like someone to tell me how/why enthusiasm over a book is annoying...
There are a lot of you out there, and some of you I know better than others. Some of you have known me for a while, or if not, have come to know me fairly well in a shorter time - you guys already know what I'm going to say next. But it's very likely that newer people on my friends list may not really "get" this about me, so let me make myself extra clear: I love enthusiasm. You will never hear me criticizing anyone for the things they squee over. It doesn't matter if I have no interest in what you care about, because that is not the point. Happiness comes in all kinds of forms, and there is enough sorrow and tragedy in the world. Gladness makes my freaking day. Got it? I feel rather strongly about this, and I consider it important enough to include in my welcome post. Full disclosure, you know?
koalathebear wrote a wonderful post touching on this topic and others here. If you haven't already (since I know we have overlap in our flists), you may want to read it. She said it better (and nicer) than I could, because I'm afraid I'm not entirely rational when people are dismissive, unkind or outright mean, particularly towards glad things in the world. I don't ask anyone to share my passions or enthusiasms, and I certainly don't go around forcing them on anyone. If people read my posts, I assume it's because they want to be here. If they don't like what I have to say, the solutions are pretty simple.
To embrace, encourage and cherish enthusiasm is really a life philosophy for me, and it has nothing to do with Harry Potter specifically because this sort of negativity is everywhere in the world, and I will never understand it. And I will never understand the malicious glee of people who enjoy throwing cold water over the gladness of others.
The negativity I've come across has been eating me a little, and this is what happens. I have the feeling that I've probably ranted about this before, but I don't care. I don't apologize for my opinions, just for breaking my own rule of not ranting. *sigh* And yes, I do realize that I've probably offended at least some of you...
To make up for the rant, here's some pretty:
Photo of a flower taken by N's father.
Cherry blossoms in DC.
*Cherry blossom photos taken by me in 2006. I've posted them before, but they can do with being reposted, right? Pretty is pretty. :)
One last thing: I can't stop listening to David Darling's cello music! So haunting and mesmerizing....I wish it would make my headache go away!