What's Important and What's Not

I wanted to start a blog because I like to write and I like to communicate but I'm slightly insecure (as I've said before many times) so I'm never sure if I'm that interesting. However, I know my sisters and sons and other family members are interested in what I have to say or how I feel so I'm still a work in progress and it looks like I need to face the fact that I always will be.



I try to be careful about posting negative things, but you know, stuff happens in everyones life, no matter how hard you try, and sometimes it helps to share it. I still struggle with a common problem - small and/or close minded people and people who love to put other people down really bug me. I have a difficult time tolerating the views of these people so how do they fit in my world if I claim to be tolerant and open minded? I'm not sure. Last week, after talking repeatedly about how much I love San Carlos and its residents, I had a run in with the local San Carlos "internet" bulletin board. We have a forum that I consult it to look up services or to see if anything is going on in town and one post caught my eye. A couple of people want to start a business based on bagels. They want to have a deli with pastrami and all kinds of delicious things so they asked the forum what the people of San Carlos and Guaymas thought about it. I wrote a note in support of the deli and suggested that they add some healthy stuff too and most of the comments started out in the same vein. Then......one person wrote saying something to the effect.......if you don't serve wraps your business will be closing down shortly (only it wasn't stated that nicely). One person wrote that Mexicans wouldn't drive there from San Carlos and neither would he because he doesn't like being around large concentrations of gringos (he's a gringo). Well the deli owner took offense and it went downhill from there. I defended the owner with a brief post asking people to be nice and not offensive.......then I was hit with a personal attack saying that my little blurb was describing myself (good god). It was really ugly. I used to see this stuff all the time on the Sayulita blog; people taking the opportunity to just be mean because they were somewhat anonymous. I actually ended up by writing "screw you" on the forum, incredibly childish of me. I was that mad and then I went in and deleted all of my posts. I'm not really ashamed of myself because I didn't really do anything wrong and I didn't get kicked off the forum. I guess the point of all this is that I saw so many nasty posts directed at this poor guy who has clearly spent a lot of time and money researching this wonderful business idea and I want to see him make it and I couldn't believe what I was reading. What motivates people? One of the coolest things about this part of Mexico is that there are so many nice, entrepreneurial folks around. This lovely person ended up saying he wouldn't dream of opening a business in San Carlos after all those nasty remarks. He simply got mad and took the comments to heart, as did I. He ended up getting so many private emails supporting his business and explaining that the forum was often a way for people who "don't have a life" to pass time by offending others anonymously that he has decided to go through with his original plans. We will have our deli. I learned a good lesson (AGAIN) too, and that is to quit while I'm ahead. I do need to get thicker skin and not get too involved in this stuff, but I will probably continue to support people who are being unnecessarily attacked. The whole thing really bothered me. Why in the world do people have to be mean on purpose? I will never understand it. How could that possibly make you happy.....something to ponder certainly. I'm almost over it now, but I'm still a little stunned by the black mark on my idyllic dream of my life in San Carlos. Guess it was time to come back down to earth and realize that life is what you make it. You can't stop what is inevitable; all you can do is be a decent person yourself. I still love my new home.



On the up side, I'm in Cincinnati with Bruce at the conference. We are seeing a lot of old friends and it's pretty here. The weather is lovely for now though it may rain tomorrow. It's still going to be warm and this city is connected by a series of sky bridges. The skyline is beautiful and we're right next to the Ohio River which forms the border of Kentucky and Ohio. The part of Kentucky I can see is lots of green and rolling hills. The hotel was built in the 30s and is a historic landmark and it's said to be haunted by the wife of a laborer who died working on the construction of the hotel. It's supposed to be a good haunting. She's wandering around looking for him. We think we met her. When we were in Chicago last month Bruce lost his earring. This morning before he got in the shower he found the lost earring on the bathmat. It was absolutely bizarre. He thinks it may have been attached to his shaving kit somehow and dropped off onto the floor. That's pretty crazy especially since he uses that bag ever single day and it's travelled between Chicago, San Carlos and Cincinnati. I just chalked it up to the lady who's walking around this hotel looking for her husband. I think she returned it to us. I like her and I'm not scared at all. I think she's looking out for us.



Before I close this novelette I have to talk about something really funny (to me) that happened last night. I'm still laughing about it. We went down to have dinner in the hotel restaurant. We're on the 26th floor and I was in a goofy mood (from hunger). We saw a little camera lens mounted on the ceiling in the elevator and I started waving, making faces (and other gestures), dancing (sort of) and I pushed most of the buttons on the elevator. Bruce was, of course, shaking his head, hoping no one would get on and notice that all the buttons were pushed. He would hate for people to think he did it. Ha. We made it to the lobby uneventfully and when we passed by the reception desk the guy who checked us in said "Oh by the way, we really enjoyed your little dance". I said "uh oh, I'm sorry, I am very immature". He laughed and said "no, it was pretty tame considering some of the things that have gone on in there". All is well. Bruce still loves me and I'm proud of myself. However, I will be more well behaved in Cincinnati from now on. They have my number.