G'day Everyone.
Well, life handed me lemons and it was bitter and sour. It was the worst I ever tasted in a long time. It was a day that neither Videophones, Instant Messaging (IMing), or social networking (like twitter, myspace, Facebook) could replace the want of real live human social contact.
Yesterday, it was suppose to be a day that the Williamsport Deaf Community would get back together and discuss about having a deaf social club again. Unfortunately, only about 6 of us showed up for the meeting. It was a *HUGE FLOP*. I really started to feel like the deaf community of Williamsport wasn't pulling back together since the day the Lycoming Valley Association for the Deaf (LVAD) shut it's doors a few years ago. I did feel we had a chance to bounce back, but nope. Everyone may had headed for the big cities like, Scranton, Allentown, Erie, Harrisburgh, Philly, or Pittsburgh. Add in to that frustration with my job hunting which has been sour for a long time.
After the meeting, I went to the Lions Club Chicken BBQ. I didn't help this time because of the deaf meeting. Picked up two chicken dinners and brought them home. urgh, chicken was.. well, DRIED up! (tosses dead chicken to the basket) Well, I was sinking in lonesome stuff and thought the movie would cheer me up. It didn't. My Saturday day sank more when fireworks went off near my home. Turns out that I missed the annual Montoursville Fall Festival. *augh*. Lovely isn't it?
Speaking of pounding, Yesterday's football games: Penn State beat Syracuse University. SU got lucky and saved themselves from a shut out. But still PSU won. Gallaudet University won a rare game against Hiram College.
Today, my bad day has continued. 3 friends dropped me for no reason. I shrugged it off to say if that's what you want to do, that's fine. But then it made me wish that I could travel out in person and talk to them of why. What choice would that do?
It made me realize that Williamsport, PA is indeed a dead town as some say it is. It made me want to double my efforts to find a job outside of the Williamsport area so that I can move and work in that new location. I want to move so that I can join a vibrant deaf community and make new friends. It is a struggle. But when I do move, I hope it will be day that I can have a house welcome party to invite friends to and enjoy.
But for those who read this today, I'm going to give a little suggestion. Spend some time with your friend in your area. NOT by AIM, yahoo, or any type of IMing. Not by videophone. Get out and make some HUMAN CONTACT with your friend(s). Get off your chair after you read this post. Go text them and say "let's go to dinner, or a movie (hopefully open caption), or a bar, or whatever what you choose to do." You will never know how much grateful they will appreciate you to make their day. A little investment of time with your friend(s) promotes a longer time of Friendship. Don't wait until your friend(s) is in the hospital or worse. If and when they die, you will regret in life that you didn't spend a little time in person with them. Their passing should make you ask yourself WHY you became their friend in the first place. Friends are special people in life. Without them, life gets too boring.
Thanks for letting me get this off my chest today.
Semper FI.
Update on Sept 23: two more "friends" decided to break up with me with out any warning or discussion. It was just *boom*. Well, it's been tracked back to one friend who influenced another and it looked like from then on, it was going to be a cascade effect. So in effect, I made a pre-emptive strike to prevent some others from getting in touch with me until the storm passes. if those who are real friends to me and will take a open hand to discuss true friendship with me, I may well let them back in my life. Right now, just surrounded in pain for the moment. I know it will pass.
4 comments:
I am sorry the weekend wasn't going well for you. Friends come and go in life. The choices the other made is their decision. I do agree with you about going out and each out to friends. Only sticky things on my end is my Family. I wonder if after what you seeing friends leaving country life for City, does that change your life as well?
James, when people leave for the city, they think they can leave country and peaceful life behind to become stressed, pressured, and having a lot of social life. No matter where you go, city or the country, life is personally going to change you.
I'm sorry you had a bad weekend.
I came to notice from observation and research that the big little problem in contemporary Deaf America boils down to many concerns including, but not limited to, differences between ASSOCIATIONS OF THE DEAF and SOCIAL CLUBS OF THE DEAF.
Many prefer the social aspect and many associations of the deaf are closed many years overdue due to the inability to keep up with laws of the land as required for nonprofit maintaining 501 (c) (3) status with the Internal Revenue Service to name just one of many.
I know many won't admit this. I don't have anything to lose by sharing stuff online. I feel the grassroots Deaf has been preyed on by the pseudo-elite Deaf. They had enough of Deaf on Deaf. My two cents.
Robert H., Yeah, I do know what you mean. It's sad that some deaf clubs close down because the leaders in that club tends to remain in power for so long, they don't want to share it.
But you are right that there is a lot of Deaf on deaf happening almost everywhere.
Note to mark, Thank you for writing, but the tone is so personal, I can't print it. Thanks anyhow.
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