I'm a Firecracker, Baby

“A good listener tries to understand what the other person is saying. In the end he may disagree sharply, but because he disagrees, he wants to know exactly what it is he is disagreeing with.” ~Kenneth A. Wells

People say you're not supposed to talk about politics, religion or finances with people. Yeah, that's easy. We all have pretty set views on that stuff & they are emotional. I don't really know how to completely avoid this stuff & still have meaningful conversations, but I understand from where the phrase comes.

But what about the other stuff? The stuff you never dreamed could be a touchy subject?

Some time ago, a friend of mine posted something on facebook about Willy Wonka. I commented that Willy Wonka gave me the creeps. He does. He's a creepy dude. I'm sticking to my guns there. I got all kinds of remarks back insinuating that I don't understand what he's about & have lost my childhood innocence & was superficial because I wasn't a fan of Willy Wonka. After a lively tit-for-tat, I was all like, whatevs... How long must one debate the merits of a fictional character? Why is it so offensive that I voiced an opinion different from one's own, especially when it has nothing to do with anything? I deleted all my comments & that was that. We never spoke of it.

I've also been engaged in a chocolate debate...as in the howcanyounotlikechocolateareyoueffingcrazy? sort. I do like chocolate. I swear. But I like good chocolate, not the nasty, waxy Easter basket & Halloween grab bag stuff. And I have to be in the mood...like seafood, it's not for all the time.

"Make sure you have a different opinion & people will talk about you." ~Arab Proverb

I'm so super-glad that I'm interesting enough to talk about. Here & there anyway.

I have been criticized because through much of the Christmas season, my status updates were lyrics from Christmas carols instead of personal commentary. I have been criticized because of the content of my personal commentary- either the posts are too long, too angry, too mundane, too upbeat, too generic, too political...just never quite right enough to satisfy my legions of facebook friends. I wish facebook called them contacts, because seriously, people 'friend' you just because they've heard your name. I've deleted many. In most cases, I mean no offense. But if we never exchange comments, what's the point?

I've also been deleted by a few. In more than 1 case, I felt like, what now? How have I offended thee? You know, as great a tool as facebook is, I've found it's a really useful tool in creating new ways to be rude. People will post things they'd never say to your face. Not me, I'll tell you straight up. They'll 'unfriend' you without an explanation. Know what I think? Whatevs....& good riddance. Gonna be like that, don't need you. When I reduced my friend list, I put a general statement out 1st that I was going to be doing it & why. I meant not to offend, but only to control who gets my feed.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." ~Daniel Patrick Moynihan

As a good friend said to me when I discussed some of this with her, "It's your wall. You can post whatever you want on your wall." That's right. I get to control it. So when I comment on yours, & you don't like it, you get to control that too. Tell me, whatevs...I can take it. I know I've pushed a few buttons out there, more than a few in the last 2 days. Let me say this: I didn't set out to argue, wasn't trying to tick anyone off. It just seemed to me that opinions were being broadcast disguised as facts (& I actually support your right to do that on your wall) that included what I thought were emotional triggers & irrelevant information & a lack of certain facts. The message was skewed. I'll say it right now- I didn't like it.

“We must always think about things, & we must think about things as they are, not as they are said to be.” ~George Bernard Shaw

It's your right to feel that way & to broadcast it. And if you don't want my opinion, you get to choose whether to engage me or ignore, leave my comment there or delete it. That's the way it goes. I'm a big girl & I can take it. I don't dish it so much for fun as a way to gage how committed you are & to learn how committed I am myself to certain beliefs. And how smartly they can be backed up by facts. Honestly, I didn't find a lot of fact in the presidential negativity following the killing of Osama bin Laden. There were a few biased & unrelated facts tossed in just to stir up a bad vibe, in my opinion. As I stated ad nauseum in the past few days, whether you agree with his politics, like him or respect him, is irrelevant to the situation. He is the Commander in Chief, an American citizen, & by God, he is entitled to share in this victory. Whoever the seated president might be would get the same. And yay, this bumped his approval rating by 11 points! Had this mission failed, he'd get all the blame. No one is going to rip on the Navy SEALS for crying out loud. That's the truth.

"There is a world of difference between truth & facts. Facts can obscure the truth." ~Maya Angelou

I don't know which is creepier...

By the way, there is no fact as to whether Willy Wonka is creepy or not. That's all opinion. And many people, even when they like Willy, agree with me that he's creepy. Both portrayals of the character give me the willies.... 

So whatevs...

That's right, I admit it. I get a little heated up from time to time...& I don't mean from hot flashes. I've got opinions on lots of stuff & I don't mind sharing them. I don't even mind arguing them, most of the time, because a smart quid-pro-quo can strengthen my belief or enlighten me to new perspectives...even if I do give you my eventual brush-off, yeah, whatevs...
 

“I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect.” ~Edward Gibbon