I often have been accused of taking shit too personally, which I do a lot of the time. Some of it has to do with taking the stance of supporting the underdog, with the exception of the Red Sox, of course.

Regardless, I guess the thing I have tried to learn and absorb the most is to just let shit slide off more easily. When I was younger it was more about literally laying down and letting people walk all over me, shit on my face, then walk away. As I got older and discovered my voice, I realized that you do have a keen ability to control the shit that used to “happen”, and I defended myself in times where I felt threatened. I used the same tactics in supporting friends of mine who were slandered on various other personal internet pages. I have often held the unpopular opinion (ie my stance on brandings and scarification), and I really don’t care. I got a message from a friend of mine attesting to his appreciation of me always standing by my convictions, which I do.

The point is, though I have had a few unfortunate people spout off some bullshit about my needing therapy, and mild suggestions that my existence wasn’t worth acknowledging, I still don’t care. If the scope of your world is so narrow that you cannot handle the idea that I might have an opinion that might differ from yours, well, then fuck it, and you too, for that matter.

I have met shitloads of people off of this site, and just happened upon them in my life. My closest friends I talk to on the phone on a regular basis, and now one of them is gone. I am on the phone to Phoenix to talk to Diablo a few times a week, and even my hot spot, Amado, in Miami has maintained some regular forms of communication. I have maintained chatting and email friends for a while, and most of them I have been speaking to for years.

SO my new mantra is this:

I’m not going to waste my time.

I write more for myself anyways, so why do I care what a bunch of strangers think? Oh yeah,
I don’t.

For the people I know and love and communicate with: You rock.