I don't know if myspace just turns people into 13-year-olds (myself included), or if I just surround myself by freaks...
This is what happened. I have a friend who I have known since middle school. We met in seventh grade. Our senior year she graduated early and joined the navy. We have kept in contact throughout the years, but I wouldn't consider us close because we haven't lived in the same place. I did convince her to come to the ten-year reunion and had fun hanging out with her then, and she had come through town before and stopped by. Anyway, I have a hard time keeping up with people who I don't see on a regular basis. It's a flaw of mine, but I think that many people share this flaw.
Anyway, she became my myspace friend. She has become totally obsessed with Ron Paul in recent months, and her page was all about it. I asked her about who he was and what he stood for, and she told me. While I agree with some of his ideas, there are some ideas I TOTALLY disagree with. Anyway, it's not just Ron Paul. She has become obsessed with how this country is going downhill. I actually agree with a lot of what she thinks (some of the stuff "they" are doing is extremely scary), but she is acting like a crazy person over this.
So I haven't really responded to much of what she has said on her page or blogs because we don't share this obsession in common.
Then I posted a blog entry in my own blog on myspace about my new favorite TV show. This is what I said:
New Boyfriends
I know that some people are not fans of reality TV, but I have a new favorite show. It sounds like blasphemy to say this, but this show is BETTER THAN AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL! It's called Make Me a Supermodel, and it is on Bravo. This is how bad my obsession is. I am paying way too much for channels I don't watch, but I can't get rid of the "Top 200" until this show is over because I need to know who wins.
The best part about this show is that AMERICA chooses who to save after the panel chooses the bottom three. So each week you vote to see who they still might be able to make into a Supermodel. And of course, the other reason why this is the best show on TV is because there are male models, too. Normally I'm not all about the classically good looking guys, but these guys are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO hot. And there is the cutest couple ever on the show. Ronnie, who is gay, and his roommate Ben, who is straight and married. However, you can tell that they are totally in love. Last week they finally almost made out. Watch this link to see it. Yeah, it was "for the shoot," but Ben (the straight one) suggested it!!! They are going to get married and adopt babies. I totally feel it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK0KAw_VkIU
If you aren't watching this show you better start! I'm not even kidding. You will wish that Ronnie and Ben were your new boyfriends.
So she posts this rude comment: "Wow, if people only chose their next president as seriously as they do their made up tv show characters.
Reality shows are not. Do some research." Okay? So I emailed her privately because I thought that was kind of out of nowhere, and as far as I knew she wasn't angry or upset with me over anything. The following is our email exchange. I can't believe this. I really can't.
Have I done something to hurt or offend you? Your comment you just left me on my journal sort of came out of left field and hurt my feelings a lot.
By "people," you can only be referring to me since I am the one who wrote a whole blog entry about my made up tv show characters, right? I am not sure if you intended your comment this way, but it seemed pretty judgmental. I think you are assuming things based on what I wrote that are not true; I never claimed to believe that reality tv shows are real--I watch reality tv because it entertains me, not because I believe that it is real. I also have put plenty of thought into who I am voting for for president; if you recall, I asked you to tell me more about Ron Paul when you first started being so into him.
I wrote that entry because I try not to take myself too seriously, and I wanted to write about something light and fun. Since I have a lot of people who I know from different parts of life as "Myspace friends," I don't want to get into something too deep... and I have spent far too much time lately feeling sorry for myself and thinking about deep issues. I also thought that some people might actually enjoy the show. It hurts my feelings that you responded that way to me.
Her response: Yes, I'm upset.
I spent 14 hours writing and editing a blog.
The only people that commented on it were people I never met.
It was real important to me, but none of my "friends" even noticed.
Sure, it was about politics, but it was not just politics. There was much thought put into it about what's going with this country and where it's headed. Our presidential candidates represent the future of our lives. I tried to express my opinion on the level that most people are on, and I spent many hours doing it. Did anyone even take the time? Not even a comment to tell me how horrible it was.
Things that are real important to me, things that effect all of us.
Nobody, and I mean nobody that is my myspace friend that I have actually met took the time to read it.
I feel like I'm in the twilight zone. Like the lone patriotic girl who wants to save her country so bad she's willing to do everyone else's part, and while she's doing it, nobody sees it, they just call her a kook because she tries to explain a truth that no one wants to hear. I guess I could feel sorry for myself, but instead, I keep trying.
But I'm not enough, so while my friends are out busy watching television that is designed to brain wash you completely, I'm making phone calls, sending out flyers, doing whatever I can to get the word out that our country is being taken over. This isn't about voting for Ron Paul, this is about being aware of what is going on and who are the bad guys.
I thought I could make a difference, but nobody seems to care. So I decided why bother, no one deserves a free country if they're not willing to work for it.
Ironically, not even a year after getting my citizenship, I have decided to leave the country as soon as I finish school. I don't want to be here when it all falls apart. I might leave sooner, as I've mentioned before, I might just "disappear. "
I guess I'm just tired of nobody paying attention, and if not enough people are paying attention, then there is no changing it.
And my remark was not intended to be hurtful, my intentions are never to hurt anyone's feelings. But it was intended to get you to pay attention.
The choice is yours. It's like the matrix, you either take the blue pill, or the red pill.
But once you take the red pill, you can never go back. I don't regret taking the red pill, though life is much harder and deeper now than I imagined. But at least I know. I would not trade that knowledge in for anything.
I hope that helps to clear up my comment.
And the only reason I even bothered was because I do care about you.
And if this doesn't make sense, well, I don't know how else to explain it, other than that not everything you are told to believe is true.
And when I said "people", I did not mean just you, I meant all people who watch American television.
My response:
I still think that it was a hurtful comment, and I think maybe part of why people are not receptive to the message you are trying to get out is the way that you are going about doing it. Being rude to get people to "pay attention" is probably not going to make them want to join the cause.
I agree with you that there are lots of problems with our country. I try to do my part by being the best teacher I can be, which I think at least makes a small difference. I respect your opinion, but I do not want to leave Portland, let alone the country.
I'm sorry that you felt that you friends are not listening to something that is important to you, but I think that maybe people just don't have this specific thing in common with you.
Her response (after deleting me as a myspace friend, because apparently we are twelve): Well, if being nice doesn't work, then I have to be blunt. And if that doesn't work, then I've done my part in trying to reach out and I will not feel guilty when things go wrong in the future.
I was not implying you should leave the country, I am hoping that we can change things around in this country where no body will have to leave.
However, I went to our republican convention today, as I am a delegate, and I was disappointed to see 3/4 of the people there supporting the RFID chip being used as an ID card for humans. Personally I opposed it, I am not a dog and don't need a microchip in me, but I guess that doesn't matter, because obviously 3/4 of the room feel that people should be micro chipped. So does Obama, so does Hillary, and so does McCain.
So, this is why I will be leaving the country, if things continue heading towards a fascist direction like they are currently, there's no reason to stay, and since I've done my part in warning people, I don't feel that I didn't do everything that I can.
And yes, I suppose you can look at my attitude as rude. I tend to see it as fed up of sugar coding. It gets no one nowhere.
What you do is your choice. You're obviously taking the blue pill, that is your choice and not for me to decide, but, I can not be "friends" with those who choose that path as I do not have the patience to talk to those who are asleep.
Good luck and take care
And I don't blame you, ignorance IS bliss.
My response:
Wow, you decide to end contact/"friendship" with someone who you have known for over fifteen years because they disagree with you and say so? Who is the narrow-minded one?
I realize that we are not close friends like we once were, but it is hard to stay close with people who do not live nearby. It doesn't mean that I don't value you as a person, and I feel hurt that you can discard me so easily. I have some great memories with you, and I wish you nothing but the best, but I think you are the one who needs to open your eyes.
And her final retort:
Oh believe me, I am wide awake.
I have nightmares every night about what is happening in the US.
Every night.
And now you want me to keep on having nightmares because you are not even willing to see what is going on? That is not my problem.
So when you end up in a fema camp, that is all on you.
I don't care how long I have known someone. Yes, I'm willing to end friendships, especially when they are one sided.
But don't ever accuse me of being narrow minded when YOU aren't even willing to look at what is going .. you respond to me, and I'm serious about this, ask yourself...
Why did the US allow 9/11 to happen? Was it really an inside job? And if it was, what was the purpose?
Why are we torturing people in other countries? Whey are we even allowing torture?
Why did congress pass a bill that allows the government to literally accuse anyone they please as a terrorist? You and me included? Do you really think I'm a terrorist? Doesn't matter, because now they have a bill that says they can torture me until I admit that I am. And I suppose if a CIA agent can't last more than 30 seconds through water boarding, what makes you think that I would not admit to anything the government wanted me to?
I'm discarding no one, but I'm not going to waste my time on someone who finds a tv show more important than the coming fascism.
I am done, this is my last response to you unless you research the subjects that I have mentioned. Only then will I read your messages.
If you research the issues above, and you have good reasons to prove me wrong, then tell me, because I really want to be wrong on this one. Believe me, I do.
I like how this whole thing started because I wrote a silly blog about a new show I thought people might find entertaining. I actually am aware of many of the injustices that have happened in the United States recently, and I am actually appalled by them. However, how on earth is she going to get anyone to listen to her by acting like this? And even though I find this whole thing ridiculous, I am actually hurt that she chose to end our friendship like this. WTF?
