Badassery Magazine August 2017 Issue | Page 33

M y reaction is visceral. I am torn between snap- ping my laptop shut and letting my fingers fly to fling nastiness back at the person who stirred it up in me. Maybe I should be asking what could pos- sibly trigger me so. Instead, I can not think, I just feel rage. How dare this person misunderstand me so! And more importantly, how dare they try to belittle me with a nasty hook instead of en- gaging in open dialogue. What has me so riled up? A snarky comment on a post that I shared with the intention of helping. There was nothing self promotional in the post. It was a post by someone famous and respected among authors. Espe- cially among, but not limited to, those in the indie community. There should have been nothing controversial about it. We should have been able to have a conver- sation with no one feeling threat- ened. And yet sometimes I think that is the whole problem. We just feel threatened. Even my initial reaction was off the charts. It was a snide com- ment from someone who was threatened by what I shared (and perhaps more so, the positive re- ception from the other members) so they lashed out. Perhaps a little passively aggressively. And that is my trigger. Because there is nothing like a mirror to make you hyperventilate. But shadow work is not what I want to talk about here. Instead, I want to talk about what set us both off in the first place. Some- thing so small and simple and yet removes our security blanket. Are you ready for this earth shat- tering revelation? There is no one way to do things. I know. It makes you quake doesn't it. Although stop for a moment. And really read that sentence. Drop the sarcasm. For- get what your guru said. What if there really and truly is no right way? We all say “of course there isn't just one right way.” Then, de- spite this common sense piece of knowledge people hit the streets to protest all the different ways people want to live …. differ- ently. We are all about diversi- ty until it moves in next door. “THAT COUPLE OPENLY HAS SEX WITH OTHER PEOPLE. Don't let your kids play with their kids!!! We do our screwing around in secret and with max- imum damage upon revelation. Like NORMAL people thank you!” 32