A Welcome Club invitation

From its inception, I envisioned the Welcome Club to be the kind of place that one could kick off one's shoes, be comfy, and talk about Important Stuff.

First, a disclaimer: I am not perfect, and have no pretenses in that direction. I have made errors in life and hopefully, I have learned from them. There are few perfect people around, so I try to be the best I can and just get up and try again when I fall down.

This post is just a general observation about people. I find as I get older, I observe and reflect on behavior more, I think anyone who has successfully raised kids past the teenage years as I have, has spent a lot of time reflecting on behavior, and reasons why people behave as they do.

As I get older I realize that people who are polite, and thoughtful, and kind, have made conscious choices to live that way. Rudeness, meanness of word and spirit, and not taking the time to try to understand other points of view are much easier to accomplish, yet there are those who make the conscious effort to rise above such behavior and do it well.

I think others are drawn toward such people. Kindness and thoughtfulness transcend the many differences that separate us one from another and draw us together.

Being thoughtful and kind does not preclude one from recognizing evil and dealing with it appropriately. There are those on the BOI who express negative feelings toward those who lie, cheat and steal; and who help to warn others so that they will not tread into the path of harm.

This is far different from the dregs of nastiness observed here from time to time. Such behaviors are unneccesary and cheapen us as human beings. Constant viciousness dulls the human spirit to the beauty around us. New hobbyists, taking their first few steps as reptile owners, see such behavior and cannot help but have second thoughts.

As I age I have more respect for those who take high roads, those who nurture the new hobbyists, those who take the time and effort to say what they think, in an appropriate way.

I invite you to try, one post at a time, to be thoughtful, to be kind, to respond in a way that makes others also put forth their best side. I invite you to put aside petty differences and think about your hobby. I invite you to honor this site, by putting forth effort to better it.

Thank you.

I think I will respond to my own invitation with a concrete way that I can help this site. I am going to make an effort starting right now to go into the subject forums more often, and respond to some of the newbie posts in a way that will make them comfortable and perhaps I can point out to them other sources and people that can help them also, as I am not an expert about reptile stuff even though I like reptiles.

OK, your turn, what can YOU do to make things just a teeny bit better?

Originally Posted by lucille

OK, your turn, what can YOU do to make things just a teeny bit better?

Instead of getting on the bandwagon that's headed straight for hell, I'm going to see if I can cut it off and shoot out the tires.

I'm actually glad that some of this stuff has come up lately. I realized I was paying more attention to the crap and getting rather irritated by it. I think I'll do as you suggested Lucille, and try hanging around the individual subject forums. Additionally, I think I'll try to add a little more humor, and less fuel. Laughs are free, and gas is expensive as all heck right now anyway.