Thanks for clearing that up, Ms. Erica. I appreciate the candid response...
I have said it before, I will say it again!

I am a grown up, not a fifth grade mean girl. I spent 20+ years as an elementary school teacher exorcising the demons of the mean girls that tormented me. I don't know you from a hole in the ground, as far as I am aware, so when I read your posts (or ANYONE's posts that I don't know) I can only guess at your mood when you wrote it, so I 'hear' it in my head in a neutral voice so that I don't put my own assumptions of your POV into it! It seems that, especially lately, people are forgetting that. Maybe it's because they are new to Internet forums and so they have no idea of the etiquette, so they look for insult and they provoke flamewars and they start trollish behaviour without actually realisng that they are doing so. They think they're contributing to the community, but unless you take the time to learn the culture of a community when you join it, your behaviour has an effect upon the climate of that community. When behaviour that is normally seen as negative becomes 'the norm', then culture has changed. Frankly, lately the culture around here has had more in common with some elementary schools I've worked in...squabbles and camps, not community. I don't DO camps. I participate here so that people can get a sense of who I am before they decide whether they want to come and see me. Likewise, I can read posts and check posting/reviewing history and decide if that is a client I wish to see. I am incredibly thankful to this community and to the members who have been here for the long haul making it what it is. I would hate to see those members leave because new members are moving in and they've decided they want to tag the 'hood.
In 8 weeks*, I'll be having the last birthday I'm ever going to publicly acknowledge(!) My life started over at 45. The second half of my life is going to be amazing, but it is too short to spend being negative. It's too fucking short to take everything so seriously all the time. People need to lighten up, chill out, relax, and choose to be happy. When I post, assume I do so with a smile on my face every time, because if I'm not always amused by PERB, I am still always bemused by it. That's as good a reason as any to smile.
Finally; quotes from three women I admire...
"The secret to a long life is to keep a song in your heart, a smile on your face, and a good dirty joke at the ready"
"Can't we all just hump and get along?"
"Abstinence makes the Church grow fondlers!"
xox
Ms E.
*You have 59 shopping days, boys, and Guildford LaSenza knows my sizes AND my discount card number!

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