Change is Kind of Constant but maybe Not Linear

Does something someone says or does ever throw a switch inside causing you to finally lose patience and think, "That's it.  I need to cut that non-friend loose."?   That recently happened with me.  As I've warned before, facebook is the devil, but did I listen?   Maybe not.

Mostly it was just used as a minor music connection and people would tag me in pictures playing here and there.  My vanity enjoyed that well enough.

Then with the Christmas trip I thought maybe I could hold the interest of someone in particular and kind of have a safety net of people knowing where I was.  And I got sucked into the things where you want to rant or give opinions.  I tried to resist but I can only handle so many half truths, so much talk of how anyone who thinks Obama or democrats are problematic is clearly racist, or how Cuba is Utopia, etc.   I get emotionally charged when facing the rationale thrown out there to justify a totalitarian trend in this country.  I'm that way.

But  don't think I'm going to win hearts and minds on facebook.  The problem with social media is that it promotes a short attention span, bad grammar, and it is not a good place for serious matters because you need a picture and some short bit of propaganda technique in action to push the point and hold the reader's interest for more than 5 seconds.  Invariably a half truth.

It is how the Daily Show works.  Invariably something is left out or something, like maybe political prisoners in Cuba or Constitution, etc. is ignored.  They are as expert at appearing to cover bases while herding the crowd as any outfit going.  I don't always disagree, but even then the humor is interwoven with purely misleading propaganda.

OK. So, facebook is the devil and  got ticked off because of a minor comment or two by a couple of people who were on thin ice for committing a kind of offense that I'd warned before would kill any friendship.

Anyone pretending to be my friend that either pushes me to drink and/or tries to make me into the momentary freak of the crowd because I do not drink, to boost themselves or for whatever motive is someone  do not need to appease.  I've rarely dealt with it.  Most people get such boundaries and have sense enough to know I had to quit for a reason.  But even if I did not or I never drank, it is a screw them kind of deal, really.

So I got a little irked, yanked the ill-named "friend" classification and delivered a rant in two different places and decided to nix the music scene for awhile.  I'll play in June since the Copper Creek group up here on ballistic mountain is slated to play a big event a radio station is doing at the winery up the mountain.

This is a change, but I realize I've been marking time and maybe I am not feeling it.  It is not paying and I need to work on other things, materially, spiritually, creatively, you-name-it-ly.   But change is hard and even though I am healthier cutting certain people out of my life, even if they will badmouth and sneer--or especially because they will.   It is always hard not to try to soothe such personal dynamics so that everyone likes me, but really, how lame is that?  I would not dream of maintaining your respect an affection if I ignored boundaries and made light of something that could be life or death to you.

Even so, I guess it bothers me slightly, because I am such a humanitarian.  A philanthrope.
ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: from Greek philanthrōpos, from philein ‘to love’ + anthrōpos‘human being.’  That's right, I'm a lover, not a fighter.

This is all part of change.  The no smoking is a good tangible symbol of some changes going on.  If I'm not careful I won't fit into my pants and being the no-pants guy running around will be another tangible change indicator. Let us just not let that happen.  Can't be buying clothes right now.  Or getting arrested for being weird.

I can't tell you how often I still have sudden almost overpowering craving to smoke.  Like just now.  
No wonder.  Yikes, look at the time.   I have a chance to look into some buy and sell situation tomorrow.  May learn something that leads somewhere.  Or just learn something.  It is a neat opportunity in any case.   I like to broaden my horizons.