Current mood:

contemplative

Where Did That Go...?

I'm taking the day off, and I'm sick and bored, so I'm here to thoughtfully gather some wool and ramble.

Taking the day off, I decided to go and peruse some other forums I don't get over to as much, what with running my own, and work and all the other bits and bobs of life.  You know what I am talking about.  Anyway, I run across a post by a very nice man and wonderful horror writer, and he is talking about a recent incident, at a convention, where he got to talking with a lady from a fairly large and reputable library, and, she gave him the right cold shoulder over an incident I won't go into here, but, what it boiled down to was he was a horror writer she'd never heard of, and she basically put down his publisher, right to his face, and told him the company's books were too pricey for the library to bring in.

All this when the man nicely introduced himself, and got to chatting on who his publisher was, and simply and politely said to the lady in question, "Why not have the library ask my publisher about a copy?"

She got miffed with him for being polite????  *scratches head in confusion*

This type of situation brings me to a phenomena I see going on all too damned much these days: inflated egos, and people looking down their nose the minute you say "I am a horror writer," versus any other underground genre.

Why the need for all the pretension?  Why the hate for horror writers?  Never mind that, why the general bristly attittude toward manners and politeness and nice people these days, in our uppity and cynical society of ridiculous trends and fifteen minutes of fame plagues?  What happened to just being real, when I wasn't looking?

Reading the writer I refer to above posting of his horrid experience with the library's personnel, it just made me shake my head and feel the sadness I do when I see, or experience for myself, situations like this, but on a somewhat different level.

Approach a person these days and just be nice to them--just your average ordinary nice attitude. I'm not saying hug them in the grocery aisle and pledge your undying love to them, but, try saying hi to a passerby on the street these days, if you live in most over-populated areas, large cities being the worst.  Hell, say hello to a passerby on the sidewalk in a large city, in some cases, you are likely to get a face full of pepper spray.

Sad, sad indeed, imho.  Where did basic human decency go when I was not looking? Or, am I that antiquated in my beliefs that I just think we should all be mannerly to one another, unless we give each other a darn good reason otherwise.  Hell, those who know me well know I am a pretty untraditional person, but, really, what does common human compassion, an ounce of consideration for another's feelings instead of our own for an instant, and manners cost us?  Nothing--not a dime.  And in the end, it gets you a lot less head ache and stress to just be nice, don't cop an attitude with everyone, and just put yourself in the other person's boots for two-point-five seconds before you speak and think, "Well now, is that really fair to say? Am I jumping the gun here?"  Doesn't take long to think before you speak, is all I am saying.

In a world where there is sure as hell enough conflict going on, wouldn't it all serve us just that much better if we all started making an effort to be a little kinder, a little more considerate, to our fellow human? I ain't asking you to go out and lick your mail man's shoes clean, or mow your neighbors lawn, but, maybe, next time your friend from work tells you he's a horror writer, and you read a story of his that shocks you, think a little bit before you judge him on that.  That is just his way of creating from his darker part of his soul--a part we all have.  And isn't it better to work that part out on the page, via  pen and paper or keyboard and word processor, than pushing it down, repeatedly, stifling it and not dealing with it, and exploding in a rage that makes him, ultimately hurt himself or others?

Remember, folks who don't pen horror: We who do are not the cause of the violence in society; we are people trying to interpret the violence we see rising in our current society--all the hatred, misfortune and pain--and we are helping others learn their own way to cope with it, by sharing our stories.  Talk to a horror writer, really talk to one of them. before you judge.  Just like you should with any human being.  You'll find, in the end, most of us ain't so bad, after all.

Let's bring back some basic human compassion and consideration in this crazy world, friends....I don't care how many people give me a dirty look when I politely smile at them--it ain't gonna stop me smiling.

Take care ~

Louise xox

*Pardon the typos -- quickly written rant, and I have a cold!*