Friday, December 24, 2010

Open Letter to Chase & Josepf and ...Heck I decided to let you all read it ok

Hi Chase & Josepf & Jon & Sam & rest of you,

I am in an odd space so thought I would include you all instead of having so many private conversations. I'm really NOT good with email so bear with me (I do email as a career but this is a different kind.)

OK. I joined the channel on Dec 1. I stumbled in by accident. I'm not a social media expert nor even trying to pretend to be one. Tribe welcomed me in with open arms. I am a jumper so I went with it. In short order I was having so much fun playing around & socializing with people that I was totally. in. love. People just walked right in to my life and the whole thing took my breath away. Sounds exaggerated, but I'm 100% kind of gal. If I'm in something, it's fanatical love & loyalty all the way.,

So then the other night something happened and I got my feelings hurt. I think you were all there, maybe not Jon. But he walked onto the scene while I was still crying. I am easy to hurt, but I would usually get over it just as fast left to my own devices. 

Enter Josepf and Chase. you guys clearly had some kind of disagreement to do with Hashable and it spiled over onto me. Now I dearly love Josepf after a few weeks of tweeting & stuff, and barely know Chase, let's be honest. Our schedules are different and so are our temperaments. I'm hyper and he's all cool. So while still angry and upset, I went and talked to my big J and my oldest twitter friend Jon and same night I went and made up #ifthen island. I burned my "doghouse" list and killed off @usguyssanta and deleted the "marry me" list, and wrote #usguys out of my profile. Yeah, I am an impulsive kind of Aries gal. 

So I did this because I love Josepf, BUT I quickly found I love the #bigtribe even more. CRAP. So then I tried to turn the #ifthen into a kinder, gentler kind of social-club spinoff group starting yesterday and tonight. I threw a virtual party tonight, and we rocked the house. It was so much fun I got twitterjailed. It was a nice thing and I want to do it again.

That's where I've been. So now I go and have a heart-to-heart with Chase. And more of, CRAP, I don't want to have to choose between Josepf+#ifthen parties and Chase+#usguys tribe. So I am in quite a double-bind here and my thought is, screw it, I'm throwing in the towel because I can't win this one. If I split the tribe and pull people over to play on my island without the sanction of the core #usguys members, I'm doing something that doesn't feel right. If I go back to the big tribe, I feel like I'm betraying Josepf and I also haven't been feeling at all welcome back on the channel as my usual jokester self. I left and the tribe seemed to go on just fine without me. Sucks.

The whole hashable thing is a total wash for me. I don't care what stats I have or how much hashcred. I just liked being creative with fellow tribe friends and the bonds that formed around coffee and beer jokes. (IRL I don't drink either coffee or beer v often, LOL, I get hot chocolate at Starbucks people ;)

So here's what I think. I'm shutting down the island for now at least until after the vacation. Easy to open, Easy to close. Done. If Josepf want to try and carry it on, he can. But I don't have the heart to do it anymore.

I'm going back to the bigtribe starting now. And I am going back to being my usual, high-volume, self-twitterjailing, social media addict with a penchant for a fast joke and a smart-aleck reply. And if anybody critiques me for it, I'll trust my #usguys close pals to give them the what-for. I should have before. Was caught off guard, having nothing but goodness from you all for weeks straight.

Finally, if we want to do a spinoff group from #usguys I want it official. After chatting with Chase, I believe I agree that the founding 5+ core team have a right to input, even if the tribe has now moved beyond control of so few people. Maybe it's time for something democratic- put things to the whole active and let them decide. But I don't want to be in charge cuz I suck at it. You guys decide what you are doing and I'll follow.

Josepf & Chase. Kiss and make up, dammit. If you go your separate ways you will utterly break my heart. You are both talented and amazing people. Find a common ground and get on it. Pronto. Or.. or.. I won't speak to either of you. No Jackie love 4 either of you till you make the tribe whole.

Finally, an appeal. Please, all of you, refrain from making me cry. I didn't know you could do it until you did. So stop it already. 

Love,

Jackie



7 comments:

  1. P.S. And ain't nothing going to scare me away again. Just you try. #putaringonit people.

    Jackie

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  2. Dammit, one more edit, sorry.

    I behaved badly and I'm sorry to all and it was stupid. So now you all have to forgive me. OK?

    Thanks, I knew you would. Have some #cookies, see you in the morning. You are not helping with my insomnia problem. I would think you WERE my insomnia problem, except it started two months ago. But you don't help.

    Jackie

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  3. I missed it all because I'm a wimp and go to bed early, but I just wanted to say that I've enjoyed this tribe so much and enjoyed all your tweets. Big hugs, my new friend.
    Sandra

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  4. Ah Jackie, you are so, um, “Jackie” – which is what I love the most. To your essence I propose a toast…

    And I do. Already verbally proclaimed and now documented for public consumption. It is not possible for you to lose me even if I never set foot in #usguys another day…

    What happened, that fateful night, had very little if anything to do with hashable. More to do with Ric’s reference to Tuckman's stages of group development. (see Storming) You’re right, the schism between Chase and I needs a “kiss and make up” OR we could have a #cagematch #deathmatch (And in this Corner… (ticket sale to fund future IRL tribal meet ups)) and get over it. Or not.

    The #ifthen Island creation was born out of tears. Literally. You invoke the Primal “protect her”, think Braveheart taking on England. Yes, several others were DMing & Skyping me that fateful night and that counts, but the island is this:

    Sweet // RT @Josepf She likes to make me cry and I come back for more I know not why, but for jackie I'd lay it all down and die #IfThen
    Sanctuary, a place to “be”. Breathe.

    “The whole value of solitude depends upon one's self; it may be a sanctuary or a prison, a haven of repose or a place of punishment, a heaven or a hell, as we ourselves make it” John Lubbock

    Of course we made an Island paradise #with Tiki bars, tree houses, poetry slams, and free #beer for all. And we rocked the Casbah! (#link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9r8LMU9bQ The Clash – Rock the Casbah).

    But darling, I cannot promise to not break your heart any more than I can promise to not promote @EllieM72 << She is so Funny, make friends with her, NO, please do. (I’m her agent, she works for me now) :-) .

    “The heart was made to be broken” Oscar Wilde Not really sure why this is, ask Sam (@Qstreet version), I’m just another Aries…

    To thine own self be true Jackie, do this and there is no betrayal to anyone. You cannot betray me and everyone who is my friend will be my friend regardless of channels. There is now and never was any conflict of interest #with #usguys. (and the same goes for the lurkers,stalkers, and hashtag droppers (bock bock & I do not mean #beer :-) I heard from a lot of people and have been graciously welcomed to be active in their streams as well.

    Thank you for putting it in the air, who else will jump into this dare, or will feelings hard create a scare? Dang @SandyHubbard you got me stuck

    sandyhubbard
    I've been trained to speak in rhyme, for 90 minutes at a time.#iambicpentameter #Shakespeare @josepf @danenow@jackinessity #ifthen

    And now I bid you all adieu, I beg you then to not echew, her thoughts although with ballyhoo, are really really really true.

    (oh, and I’ll keep #IfThen to publish research on and throw the occasional mixer)

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  5. I go away Snowboarding for a few days and I miss all this action!

    4 days away and I miss a tribal Schism! OMG. Such fun.

    I probably should go read and call and stuff before commenting, but no this is the way way do it. Just do it. Just be you. There are no rules.

    Wow.

    Glad you are back. I Love the High Tweeting you!

    And the stress of being jailed and sent to Haiku heaven & hell all at the same time.

    And Secretly I know @ChrisBrogan loves it too.

    He DM'd me to say just that.

    I discovered I can't count syllables for Toffee.

    I've got Sylabylitis!

    I know there's a cure.

    Will you help me find it?

    Happy Xmas.


    Nick

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  6. Wow - like Nick I go off to play in the snow and miss it too! Had no idea what this was all about! Here I thought all was well...I'm glad you shared because I so enjoy your humor and wit in the tribe. You are also part of the west coast contingent- it's cool to be in the same time zone. (sometimes it's lonely out here ;))

    FWIW - I think such an event as a little schism is an opportunity to strengthen relationships and meaning. They are also inevitable I believe.

    So thanks Jackie for being you!

    Happy holidays all!

    Patrick

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  7. Jackie,

    I am not even trying to rhyme, not my thing, hoping the holidays will surely bring you fun and myrth and presents too, as you are loved just through and through.

    MAN I did it whew, where a #drink, #wine, please #dinner giggle

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