shortskirtlongjacket

Hey, thanks, this is cool. I had a blog at an online forum I used to belong to, but I quit that group and am not going back. No room in my life for liars, gossipmongers, and shit-stirrers.

Having a blog is good for me, though. I like putting things down in writing for others to see, as it gives me a measure of accountability in my thoughts and such. Sometimes, I get support, sometimes, I get that much-needed call to "snap out of it!" OK, sometimes I get abuse, too, but there will always be "those" people. As Grandma used to say, consider the source and let it pass.

What am I here to say? Just that I'm here, and I'm glad. OK, sometimes I'm cranky. Given that I'm getting close to 50, that's to be expected a bit, isn't it? I'm less naive than I used to be, but I guess I was reared with (or inherited?) a healthy streak of cynicism, because all my life, I've reacted to things with "the 3 rules of people" (as taught to me by my dad and/or observation):
Rule 1: People are idiots. (Mind you, a person can be intelligent. Many people are, in fact. But, in general, and from time-to-time, all individuals, including me, are going to meet Rule 1. And the larger the group involved in any given event, the more likely Rule 1 applies.)
Rule 2: People are no damn good. (Now, again, this is a generalization, and you should know how to take those. But, whenever you wonder about behavior that seems wrong, Rule 2 is the most likely answer - or a combination of Rule 1 & Rule 2. "No damn good" is usually shorthand for "only interested in their own welfare," by the way. And, I realize there are times when it is of critical importance to put oneself first - but that isn't the same as completely disregarding the welfare of others, especially as displayed by many people in public who seem to view the whole world as a big reality TV show in which they are the star and everyone else is just "an extra.")
Rule 3: People ruin everything. (No, really. Do you enjoy something? If enough other people find out about it, I guarantee they'll ruin it. Whether it's your favorite restaurant, your small town, or the environment, that's just the nature of people. It's what we do best.)

Here endeth the lesson. Sorry if my cynicism is a bit much. I like to put the cards out on the table, let everyone know the rules by which I play. Once that's out of the way, realize that my number 1 credo is: try as best you can to find the funny in anything you can, because you need all you can get!