A very good friend reminded me today of a purpose and responsibility that I have to a group of people. She reminded me of why I returned to the group after a nasty little episode in June nearly tore the group apart, as well as a couple more because of a false agreement and set of rules that were in place to control the board. The agreement didn’t exist and had never existed. I trusted the person who made the agreement, but as more and more people questioned me about the never-ending rules and I couldn’t answer them or get an answer for them, I was unable to defend them anymore. I asked my doc about the agreement and he had absolutely no clue what I was talking about, not did he care. It’s a secret group on FB. We don’t exist. There was never an agreement, and that’s where the shit hit the fan. (Which I won’t explain in detail.)
I found myself falling into the same trap, only with fewer words and needed to be reminded that the board is for communication, support and exchanging info/ideas. It’s also there for fun. We can’t be serious about our situations all the time. We have to take the time to laugh at ourselves and our situation from time to time or these little demons will consume us completely. In order to correct my mistake, I’ve taken the admin and mod rolls out of directly policing the group. If they find a huge error, they IM the person involved to fix it. If it’s not fixed, it’s deleted, no muss, no fuss. They are also in an arbiter’s role and will only intervene when called or if things get nasty. Let the people talk. They know what they can and can’t do.
I love the board and its denizens. I put many hours into it. I don’t get paid for it. However, it’s something that I enjoy doing. It’s therapeutic for me. I also get a lot of support from the wonderful people I interact with on a daily basis. It tells me that it’s not just me and the cat. I refuse to let it dwindle away and die because people are afraid to express themselves without upsetting the admin/mod police. I really hope the new approach works.
cazandoconejos 