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01/29/2024 06:16 PM
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A love letter to my friends
Within each of us dwells a heart of darkness; a place where our secrets hide, and fears abound. There our worst enemy- ourselves- our traitorous, blackest, darkest, sepulchers-selves lurks. The self within that kills and maims our own intellect, our creativity, our minds. The one that weaponizes others’ words, and attacks our soul from the shadows within.
It is a place of grimy, bleak, sooty, chaos. It is noisy, with a cacophony of negatives; ridicule, disdain, reproof, criticism, jealousy, vanities, regrets, guilt, vengeance, pride, sick ego and villains, of our own creation. Its foundation is scattered with the discarded remnants found in the mire and muck of the outside world. We take it in without thought, or even from unwilling circumstance, it clings to us and we absorb it as surely as a sponge takes in water: A superior’s stance in the workplace, a partner’s jibe, a friend’s thoughtless remark, a stranger’s glance, a child’s shove. We look for it in the face in the mirror and we voice it’s wicked, mocking tones.
“You’re no good, you’re not enough,” it says until we begin to believe it.
When one day, another face is seen – a face we may recognize – but don’t really know. We find ourselves wondering what it is that seems so familiar about this face. There is a reflection there, a similar self – another reflection that is almost like our own. We approach them carefully, cautiously, because there is a light around them now, a glow, an aura of authenticity that makes them easier to see among the bleak landscape of the Keanu’s numbers.
As we draw closer, nearer, we see it isn’t ourselves at all, but another reflection – not our own. Another being who has the same searching glance in their eyes, the same grim satiation of having seen it all, or a belief that there is nothing new under the sun for them to see. Like us, they are startled by the sense of recognition and a new curiosity springs like a crystal fountain within that heart of darkness.
Turquoise trails of sparkling conversation shower white glints of hope along its quenching, refreshing and renewing waters. Renewed spirit floods the scorched and barren landscape of banality, and we are suddenly found in a clear glade, abundant with colorful flowery words, sweetly perfumed adjectives, and scintillating metaphors. Words form thoughts, form dreams, form hopes, forms new pathways. The grass grows clover green and meadows bloom and blossom with ideas, creativity, and uniqueness. We find ourselves alive again.
Time is intrepid for it has no rival. It moves swiftly for each of us and inexorably toward a conclusion, a prescribed end. Through its natural course many events force us into that black, bleak jungle of “Life” and we tear ourselves apart trying to stay on our self-imposed course until at last, we meet those who share our reflections, who shine all the stronger when we’re near, and by whose light we, ourselves, shine all the stronger. We are empowered simply by their presence, their company helps us to remember ourselves again. Recalling the days of our youth, when our beliefs were strong, our path not so far from where we first emerged from the universe – full of destiny, hope, confidence, and a knowledge of our direction and into life intentions.
For those people have given us of themselves, unselfishly, unrestricted, with hope that we shall give of ourselves in equal harmony – equal measure – not in halves of fifty-fifty – but in wholes = one to one – Meeting in the safe place of our own hearts – no longer dark – but shining with the joy of recognizing another of our own kindred kind. Shining with the light of love, once found, embraced, for while the longing may be a physical homing for them to return once more, the theoretical fills the figurative heart to abundance and we are one with them again.
To my truest friends ~ I know who you are for I have recognized myself within each of you, you know who you are because you have seen yourselves in me.
Thank you for the love and acceptance
~Dr. Sophronia Winters~
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10/08/2023 01:12 PM
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In Memory of @DianaPrince
Current mood:
 sad
From a family source I was shocked and saddened to learn that the writer who created such strong and memorable characters as @DianaPrince, @DainaNoelle, @ElliofTheWoods©,and others, had passed away at 1:56 p.m today, Oct 3rd, 2023. I had known that she'd been hospitalized in ICU and was in serious condition but had no information other than this. Still, we believe in the possibilities of modern medicine and yet, in spite of our selfish desires, the universe, Creator, (or whatever belief system you embrace) had other ideas and too soon, she left us.
Recently, I'd just heard a saying that when someone is taken suddenly, it means only that heaven, or their ancestors, needed them right away for something very important. Perhaps to be a guardian angel, or warrior on the next plane, and that would have very much Diana's calling. She was always telling me, and others, "I'll take the next watch," or "I've got this." She would also very much be humbled by the outpouring of love and caring others have shown in being saddened or moved by the news of this transition into another realm, where we, sadly, cannot go....yet.
She was a good writer, she viewed the world through rosy glasses. She loved adverbs and I do believe her favorite adjective was "beautiful." I met her here on RP.me and after a time we began to talk in r/l and I became her friend and editor for her future book. Being her friend was easy, staying her friend required only honesty, respect, and loyalty. Nothing more than we'd ask for ourselves. She was a sweet, crazy, goofy at times, woman who loved people and who loved to laugh.
The only thing she liked more than laughing and having a good time, was dancing.
She loved well and deeply. She cared for her friends here and she made many. Like those of us here, sometimes those lines got blurred and feelings got hurt, but I truly believe she didn't have a malicious bone in her body. She was child-like in her sense of wonder. Brilliant in her creative processes, and generous in her embrace of writers, old and new.
I could go on and on about what and who she was to me, but I like to think we will speak of her often, with pride, laughter, joy, and good memories. For now, I'd like to just say, in the words of E.B. White, author of Charlotte's Web, "“It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer.”
Farewell Diana, Princess of Themiscrya, I will miss you my friend. Fingers Up!
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The OOC Post:
It is with an extremely heavy heart that I offer the following information that our lovely @DianaPrince has passed away after her recent illness. Her family and friends have asked for respect and privacy at this time. Information about her services and memorials will be shared as soon as it becomes available. R.I.P.: @DianaPrince, @DainaNoelle, @ElliofTheWoods©, and others who came to life under her beautiful writing. You will be missed my friend. - Sophronia.
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04/29/2023 04:05 PM
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The Dr is In - What is an LI to YOU?
What is an LI to you? This blog is a bit different as it is more of a poll of RP.er’s than an opinion. Yes, there will be opinion (mine) but I would like to get a general reply response from YOU as well. Please keep this a judgment free-zone – I’m not asking you to judge anyone. I’m asking you because I’m nosy, curious and also to shed light on a subject that many people seem to pursue but few discuss in topics as to what they seek or what they define as an LI. From observations, I noticed that LI’s are as diverse and as complicated as r/l relationships, which makes them pretty sticky wickets, tbh. However, my LI having ended a couple of months ago, my ship was more like the Titanic. It sank and was destroyed in a single evening during it’s proclaimed ‘unsinkable’ maiden voyage. Glub, glub...No Rose and Jack scenario here. Nope. In my scenario, both lovers survived but their love story was over. For over six months my LI/WP and I enjoyed a great SL as well as getting to know one another OOC. We lived in different time zones and timed our o/l excursions so we could meet up daily and enjoy some real time talk for an hour or two if possible. Otherwise, we would leave each other text, emails, and SL entries. It was dreamy fantasy, and even the dull realities of our personal issues seemed less...well...boring. In short, it was captivating for a time in RP, and in r/l it was nice to make a new friend. Therein lies the rub. When losing a LI, not only did I lose someone whom I considered a new friend, the situation made a continued RP relationship impossible, so I lost a good WP as well. For myself, I chose to be a monogamous LI writer. That was my comfort level and he respected that. We weren’t going to be r/l lovers and we knew that from the outset – but as we became more involved as LI’s in writing, the harder that boundary was to maintain. Our breakup was mutual and amicable, although it didn’t feel like that at first. It was a decision made in the heat of a moment, but upon reflection there were truths of r/l conflict in that ‘heat’ that truly needed to be considered by us both. Once examined, we came to the mutual agreement that while we had developed real emotions beyond our SL, it was necessary to step back, hit a hard reset, and end our story in all ways, both real and imagined. That was my experience and likely I won’t venture back out there again, at least, not for a while. It’s not worth it for me. I’m not the fru-fru romantic type and we all know anyone can write sex/erotica. At least, anyone can write lewd words and a few movements and call it erotica, lol. Although I’ve been told I’m quite good at it, it’s not something I’m going to do with everyone and anyone.
In fact, I write with a few "shipped" people because I enjoy my platonic relationships with writers here of all genders (and species). Not all of them are human so I don't want to offend any of you. I try to make sure that shipped couples are aware of my actions and all SLs that I write with their partner are open for their review as well. Simply put, transparency and communication is a must when writing with a shipped partner so that jealousy doesn't become a problem. For me, trust and a relationship has to develop naturally in a SL for that a 'ship' to happen. Especially when there’s always that niggling concern that by rushing into an ‘erotic’ scene with a new writer, how do I know that I’m not sharing naughty words with some underage person behind the screen and blasting them right through puberty? No thank you. I don’t want some angry parent or police tracking me down to arrest me for child porn because I thought I was writing with a consenting adult. UGH!!! That’s a nightmarish thought by itself that’s enough for me to keep my fingers and brain in check for quite a while to come. But that’s beyond the point... Perhaps it’s because I don’t understand the whole concept of the LI – which is why I’ve come to YOU, the role-player/writers here. For some it appears that it’s a real relationship beyond the text or SL only. Others regard it as a SL only situation. Some seem to easily have multiple LI’s and not consider this to be anything more than romance/sexual writing with different partners. While others appear to believe that if they’re shipped they don’t write anything romantic or sexual with anyone else. There are sub-groups of all of these, and the small delineations that define it as not writing anything with anyone else, or those that believe if a pic is posted with the FC of another person, then that’s being ‘shipped.’ I even had someone ask me to delete an image they’d sent me while they were ‘single’. It was an image of one of my FC and theirs, because they’d found someone and didn’t want me to accidentally post it one day and make their LI jealous. I deleted it as requested, although I really liked it, but I didn’t want any haters over a mistaken mispost. While I’ve known others that create their own LI person to keep the question of desirability and ships already answered and avoid the question altogether. Like a single person wearing a wedding band just to ward off would-be advances. Sometimes these are obvious and others have been doing it so long, they’re entirely believable. So please, tell me – what does having a “shipped LI” mean to you? What’s been your experience? For example: Do you think it should be posted/proclaimed on the public stream to be a ‘legal’ ship? Is it just ‘understood’ you’re in a ‘ship’? Do you create Alt’s to handle the different LI’s if you have them? What are your deal-breakers? What are your boundaries? How long have you been together? What’s your story? Is it r/l and OOC, or just rp? Is a RP LI considered cheating in r/l? Is multi-LI ‘cheating’? How does Multi-LI differ from Single-LI for experience and emotions?
Please feel free to add any thoughts or comments that I may not have included here. Thank you for your participation in advance, Soph (Because he called me Roni, I won’t be using that name anymore. Que the violins lol.)
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02/12/2023 03:24 PM
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The Dr is in - Rx: Fighting helplessness
Current mood:
 determined
What to do when I feel helpless?
Our heartfelt encouragement to @flash during this difficult time. Recent events in Turkey and Syria have impacted many of us here on RP.me and others around the world. Whether or not you have friends, family, or associates directly involved in the deadly earthquakes that have taken the lives of over 5,000 people, as of this writing, you may still feel the impact of the devastation it has caused. Along with the sense of despair, grief, loss and horror, as we watch the news unfold with even grimmer news of the terrible toll, there is an overwhelming sense of helplessness that comes with such tragedies. There are always the questions of Why? How? What can be done? Along with these questions comes the inevitable query of: What can I do about it? Some people will react with callous disregard; perhaps hug their loved ones a bit tighter but dismiss such events because they believe it doesn’t impact them. Fair enough. While I would argue that every person’s death diminishes us as a whole, that is a lecture for another day. Suffice it to say, this entry is for those who are watching with tear-filled eyes at the awesome yet formidable power of nature in the extreme and sit helpless by to watch and yearn for the super powers many of us here claim by our characters to have – yet cannot enact to go and help right crumbled buildings, or restore all to rights, as they once were. It is a sad day, when we face the reality that control of life is an illusion. It strips away our comfort zones and forces us to come to the mirror of our own mortality. While uncomfortable and disturbing as this is – it is vital for us to remember, our time here is limited and unless we are given additional information – none of us know when our end time comes. It should not be easy to sit idly by when we have friends or know of those who are now experiencing real pain and fear from experiencing such loss on a personal level. We should want to help, we should yearn to restore that illusion of control again, to make things as they once were before nature came along and crushed our beliefs. What can be done? Give of yourself. It may sound too simple for such an overwhelming event but trust me, it will help. If you cannot donate funds to trust-worthy sites that have been vetted to assure the donors that their monies are going directly to the victims of such tragedies, there is still a lot you can do to help. Money helps, it takes a huge amount of money to run rescue teams and equipment to such countries, towns, and cities. Not to mention to keep crews and emergency personnel on site to keep performing search and rescue to find survivors, not to mention personnel to help extract and identify those who were not fortunate enough to make it out alive. -
Donate clothing, food, blankets, to your local shelters or Red Cross and United Way facilities now. Whenever a natural disaster such as the earthquakes hits, these resources are some of the first that are tapped to draw needed items and provide excess in whatever capacity they can provide. Often they are immediately drained of all of their materials and left barren to provide anymore for the daily demands with which they are faced. -
Give blood. As with material resources; blood banks and hospitals are also among the first to be hit with demands as globally, first-responders race to the scene and must ask their home countries for what stores are available to be donated. Blood is a vital commodity and when such devastation is so widespread, often the local resources for such have been wiped out in a matter of minutes if not seconds by having been involved in the disaster themselves. -
Talk to others and find out what they can provide. Make sure that people are aware of the disaster and ask that they donate as well. Offer to take their items, along with yours, to the local shelters or hospitals, to make sure all donations are received. -
Think about the situation in a personal way – what if this was your family? What would you want others to think or do to help you? Respond in kind. -
Listen. If you know someone who has been impacted by this tragedy – if you cannot offer more, offer your ears and eyes (in the case of RP.me/reading text) – to listen and truly hear. Be there for those who are dealing with this tragic situation in a personal, intimate way and simply listen. Chances are they’re feeling overwhelmed and more helpless than yourself. -
Donate hugs and kindness. To everyone you know and care about – whether it be in writing or in person, be gentle with others, give kindness and consideration. Know that others may be hiding a lot of hurt and come here for escape – not questions. If someone chooses to bring it up, let them, listen to them – but don’t hound them about it – they may not be at a place where they can talk about it now and need the escape of roleplay just to get them through the moment. -
Pray. To whatever God or deity in which you believe. The power of prayer can work miracles and right now the people of Turkey, Syria and all other impacted areas need all the prayers we, as a group, can send. Take some action – even if you can’t donate money – donate a moment’s time to do one thing on the above list. It will help you to feel more powerful and less helpless by acting on it. Look at the list above, it is not by any means the only things you can do – it’s just a guideline to help you get started. No matter what you do – do something. We are humanity, all of us. Make it count*. *I wanted to go on about how yes, this is roleplay and we come here to forget about our real selves and to take on persona's that allow us to step out of those lives and into ones that are within our control, etc. About how we like to put on a mantle that we can trust and how we like, through our writing and fiction, to control the amount of horror, devastation, and drama that is created. How when something like this happens it minimizes any and everything here to the point it all seems so trivial and small, how little control we really do have– but then – I thought to myself – you know that already – right?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/02/06/turkey-syria-earthquake-death-toll-live-updates/
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01/04/2023 12:27 PM
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The Dr is In - Gaslighting & RP
Current mood:
determined
The Dr. Is In—Rx: Gaslighting & RP In my last blog post I mentioned that there are other reasons for some people to be here on RP.me beyond writing. Reasons not always positive. Some are simply here to build themselves up in this juvenile fantasy attempt to feel powerful when, in fact, their real lives are usually quite the opposite. People aren’t really as invisible as they think, on this platform. While it’s a temptation for the immature or inexperienced brain to behave badly, like a bunch of kids out of sight of their parents for a party weekend, most of us do try to ignore these hoodlums of any online grouping (aka: trolls) before reporting them to admins or a higher authorities to deal with them. While all of us know we aren’t really the beings we portray here --many eventually discover – there is an aspect of ourselves that merges between our r/l selves and our online selves after having affected these portrayals for any length of time. They are mirrors, pieces of ourselves shown to others and sometimes those mirrors are quite dark and not always positive, happy faces are seen in the murky glass. Here we have a voice among others –yet they can be just as twisted, domineering, controlling, manipulative, narcissistic, or sociopathic, as they are in r/l. Some people are coming at it from a purely writer’s POV, wanting to try on those shoes of a character to see how they fit, while some put on the shoes and find the fit so comfortable, they can’t take them off and they want to live them here. Through the electronic medium of this platform, and it’s often bridged companion of Discord, people are picking up the electromagnetic energies being amplified, via crystals and precious metals, directed from person-to-person through a screen. It happens, it’s a digital-world phenomenon but there isn’t a single person here who doesn’t know what I’m talking about. If you say you don’t then you’re either a) a prevaricator, or b) thick as a brick. I was recently talking with a RP friend of mine. Our discussion was about the number of people who come here to “collect hearts.” Like some maniac out of Alice’s Wonderland; these people want to come here, manipulate people’s emotions to “fall for them” via words and written actions, then gaslight them, leave them, and move onto their next target victim. They have “groupies” or “followers” who are so insecure in their own egos, that they will, in attempt to continue to curry their favor, also help target or participate in the continued torment of the latest victim or harass those who are smart enough to avoid the perpetrators as soon as they realize they’ve come across someone like this. The following article may be helpful if you find you’re in this predicament and are wondering how to get out. Also, know you’re not alone – we’ve all run into those nut-jobs and had to learn how to deal with them once and for all. If any of the below looks familiar to you, please click on the link and think about your situation here. Gaslighting Memes Ask yourself the questions and be truthful with yourself. If you’re in the wrong kind of RP relationship, leave it. Delete and block toxic players. For every bad player there are 100s more out there who are looking for healthy partners. For others, who’ve been targets of this type of abuse, either in r/l or OL, despair can be overwhelming and suicide can become a plausible but ill-decided option. If someone here has hurt you – DO NOT BELIEVE THAT SUICIDE IS EVER AN ANSWER!!
 The Lifeline is available for everyone, is free, and confidential. See below for additional crisis services and hotlines. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 988 Text 988 CHAT WITH LIFELINE Show contact information Línea de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis 1-888-628-9454 Show contact information Lifeline Options For Deaf + Hard of Hearing For TTY Users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988. Veterans Crisis Line 988 Text 838255 CHAT WITH VCL Show contact information
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11/09/2022 05:23 PM
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Past behaviour vs future ego rewards
Current mood:
 blessed
Just because you get a different side of somebody who has brought harm upon others, doesn't mean that harm never happened. So don't try and tell any of the ones hurt, that they are liars or that they are in the wrong-- just because you never got that sh/it end and or never saw it/refuse to see it when its there. It makes you just as bad if you do that kind of crap. Remember that babes. 💙💜
about an hour ago
Sophronia I get the point but there is an old saying, "Birds of a feather, flock together." This is exactly what it means. Sometimes others need a fresh start with a new group in order to get away from their "bad" pasts - maybe they're trying to turn over a new leaf or become better? Does everyone's past have to define them forever in the future? Lord, I hope not or none of us would ever be able to change and move on. I agree that none of us should ever call others liars for their own experiences - each have their own. None of us should set out to purposefully be hurtful or believe that our friends could've ever been hurtful (awful to think) but I think everyone needs to take a big CHILL PILL and remember this is RP - it's NOT real..
I, myself, lost a really great writing partner because of what I believe was some misinterpreted writing.
Was I upset? Yes.
Was my writing action misinterpreted and presumed to be something it wasn't? Yes.
Did I get a chance to explain? No
Did that hurt? Yes.
Was that their choice to make that judgment call and walk away? Yes.
Would I be within my right to go after them, hound them, go rogue and be nasty to them and bad-mouth them to the friends we shared? NOT AT ALL.
Look, we're all presuming and assuming to be adults here. When we click on that 18+ agreement - we are stating that not only have we left juvenile and sophomoric views and emotions behind, but that we're also adult and mature enough to view, voice, act, as a mature, responsible adults. It's not just a pledge that we're old enough to engage in exchanges of explicit, lascivious words and lusty verbage.
The person with whom I had this misunderstanding is still a great writer whom I respect. They picked me as a writing partner and in spite of the conflict or confusion, I will still defend their right to say whatever the hell they want about me, or our writing. Because they chose me as well, they have a right to say what they thought or felt and walk away if they were uncomfortable. I can and did apologize for any misunderstanding - but should they be shamed for their views and opinions because they differ from mine?
Emphatically NO!!!
I see them on friend's lists and although I'm wistful because it was fun writing with that particular person, they were not a brute, a troll, or anything bad at all. I have been very fortunate to avoid those that come here simply to cause trouble. I'm glad they're still here and have found writing partners that better suit their literary needs. Because truly, that's what's really happening here.
We look for people here, as we do in life, that blend with our style, our views, our friends, and our beliefs. We're not going to "blend" with everyone. To beat a tired phrase to death, "Haters gonna hate." They're also going to find like minded people to side with them. However, not all "haters" are created equal and in the big scheme of things - eventually there will be "fringe" folk who will merge some of these groups by not being quite as hateful, spiteful, racist, bigoted, close-minded, etc., as others.
This is a small sample of what's happening all over our country right now, all over our world. We're splitting into factions that seem to fracture over whether someone likes the same things we do. When did that become a "right" to be right? It's not. It's fun. It's great to be with the "in" crowd, to be considered "popular", or get the biggest Ego boost by some strange delineation of what that means here - but honestly, there are whole communities and groups of us on RP.me that truly don't care about your popularity.
I'm not here to write with you because of your status, what other people here think of you, or because you've got great knockers. (Door knockers, I mean.) I think it's fair to say, WARS were started over smaller potatoes than this. The original poster - no I won't divulge that person's nick because it's irrelevant (should they read this and choose to "out" themselves - that's up to them) - has a very good and valid point.
While I don't appreciate being called "babes" as a whole group - I don't know this person and perhaps that's just their way of talking? Okay - if I take umbrage, I could message them and let them know. Is it worth my time and energy to make a mountain out of such a molehill? Nope - not to me. I have taken the sword on that bit of intended sexism in days gone by when it was obviously meant as a sexist retort - I don't know this poster and I COULD presume injury and insult, however, I choose not to do so.
Just as I choose not to take insult/injury over being ghosted by other writers, rejected by other writing partners, or applauded by other writers. It's Ego we're pandering here. We LIKE being liked and there's nothing wrong with that. Just as some people would be class clowns and even bullies, for the Approval of someone else - or their own insecurities - that is THEIR issue - not mine - and not anyone else's. Generally speaking, it indicates mental health issues that are far deeper than someone on Discord or RPme are going to be able to assist them with at any rate. I hope they will reach out and get help from a friend, or authority, who can help them if they recognize themslves doing this.
It is not okay to go out AFTER someone - to purposefully target someone to hurt UNLESS that person and you have agreed to a consensual predator/prey, Master/slave, or Dominant/submissive, Hunter/hunted, Victor/victim, etc., etc., relationship. It is not for the weak, I promise you. (That however, is a whole different blog post.)
In my opinion, I agree with the original poster who said - to villify or downplay, patronize, or accuse others of having had a BAD experience with someone if you've never had it with them yourself is not okay. BTK's wife was surprised to learn her husband was a serial killer - it happens folks. So before you go spewing accusations or calling others liars - well - just don't. Unless or until you can prove Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt - aka A Reasonable Doubt that it is true - and unless you're ready to take it to the real and court, etc., etc. Why???
Were you there? Did you type the words? Were you in those persons heads so that you know every inkling of their psychological make-up to interpret words and understand, comprehend, and assimilate the meaning of those words according to their culture, their frame of reference, their entire Id to know what they meant or said? No, it's impossible. Even the closest of lovers - who can almost seemingly do this - truly cannot know. It's fun to believe that we know someone so well - but imagine if the tables were turned....
What if it were you - and you were being accused instead of being the accuser? What could you say or do to satisfy yourself when you were the accuser? THINK folks - the old addage of "sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me" is a crock. Words are some of the most tangible tools we have a humans, they're also some of our most formidable weapons.
So before you unsheath your weapon - and before you aim at anyone else. Aim at yourself. I'm still quite sorry to have lost one of my former writing partners but I wish them all the best and hope they're happy out there. I'm not writing all of this to say, "See how much better i am than you?" Not at all, this isn't about judgment from me - it's about using your own. I wrote this to show that even though I try to always stay positive and upbeat, this stuff gets to me too, sometimes. I wanted to have a knee-jerk reaction to the same things, being ghosted, etc., etc., but I had to very literally, stop myself. I caught myself telling a couple of people how upset I was about the "ghosting" and realized I was doing "IT." The very thing I told myself I wouldn't do. So I shut the F**k up until I bring it up now to relate a commonality with every other human being in the world.
After all, any of us can stop any of this hobbiest, literary, technological, digital, virtual angst by simply clicking on "x" and shutting it off. Yep, that's all it takes. If one can't - one is addicted and should click off for a while for health reasons but that's your own business and your choice. Enough said.
We "Choose" this...so we should control our chosen environment. What are you choosing? Why are you here? Drama, anxiety, hatefulness, righteous indignation simply to mask more of the same?
Pffft...give it up and be honest - why are you really doing it?
Ask yourself - then act accordingly.
That's all I'm saying.
Roni~
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09/07/2022 11:40 PM
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OOC: You appear to have been infected by other's thoughts
Current mood:
 contemplative
Below are the identifiers or causes, if you will, of mob mentality: - Deindividuation—when people are part of a group, they experience a loss of self-awareness.
- Identity—when people are part of a group, they can lose their sense of individual identity.
- Emotions—being part of a group can lead to heightened emotional states, be that excitement,anger, hostility, etc.
- Acceptability—behaviours that are usually seen as unacceptable become acceptable when others in a group are seen carrying them out.
- Anonymity—people feel anonymous within a large group, which reduces their sense of responsibility and accountability.
- Diffusion of responsibility—being part of a group creates the perception that violent or unacceptable behavior is not a personal responsibility but a group one.
- The larger the group or crowd, the more likely there will be deindividuation and diffusion of responsibility
As adults, and I do assume we are all adults here, (not necessarily by character but by the person behind the screen reading this,) we prefer to think of ourselves as individuals. As an American, I am proud of our individuality and personal freedoms. (Some of my ancestors were here first- after all.) So much so, we tend to forget that we didn't invent everything. It's been drummed into our brains, almost from birth, that Western civilizations "came first" and "privilege" and "pioneering" go hand in hand. That until "we" created it - nothing existed.
That's baloney. Short and sweet - there's nothing new under the sun. There are new ways of looking at old things, but none of us alive today invented colour, sounds, etc., most of us didn't even invent our play-bys - so the idea of blasting someone for "stealing" our "stolen" stuff is, in point of fact, ludicrous. We think nothing of "lifting" and taking for our own the storylines written by others of books and movies, bastardizing these into AU and calling it "original writings."
Truth be told, it's a form of plagiarism - and we're lucky we're not all of us getting the pants sued off of us by the writers and creators. For all I know, they've got folks skimming these AUs harvesting ideas for their shows and laughing all the way to the bank.
The point is simple however, no one here, except the administrators who run this site, have the right to bolster their ego's by singling out others and forcing them away from this site just for kicks. When that happens, it makes them just as annoying and as much a troll as the people they target. They have then become bullies and folks, I don't think that's really what people come here to become.
This is a site for entertainment, joy, pleasure, expression through a creative medium. It's not a popularity contest. Instant gratification maybe yes, but not to get one's jollies trying to see how many people one can torment or berate because one's ego is so small, so insecure, so threatened by the possible existence of a better "other character" or "excellent writer" than one's self.
I am a good writer, there are many of them here. Many far better than I. Do I feel threatened by this? No. I'm impressed by this and even honoured and flattered when I get the opportunity to write with them. They help me grow as a writer and further my creative expression. The only person I'm here to compete with is myself, to be a better writer, a more critical thinker, a more expansive creator through words.
Sometimes we have to ask ourselves why we are here. Is this where we are getting our self-validation? Is this where we feel truly understood, loved, valued? Is this where we can turn loose of our inner demons or angels? What drives us to be here? To isolate, surround and pick on someone until we draw blood? If it's the latter, then you are among the Lord of the Flies, and honestly, I'd advise you to seek professional help, you have more issues than an imagined world can ease for you.
That's not to say you don't have a right to be here, you do, just like the rest of us. I have no right to tell anyone they shouldn't be here. I do have the right to state my mind on a subject, and it's simply this. When we cease to think for ourselves, whether in or out of character, we lose our most valuable right - the right of freedom, of individuality. Once lost, it's damned hard to get back so don't let it go too quickly.
If it's been a while since you've read Lord of the Flies, read it again. There's lessons in it for all of us. Especially now when our entire r/l culture seems to have turned toward "Might means Right" and "Mob Rules" tends to be the order of the day. You can agree or disagree with me all day long and it's your right. I will uphold your right to hate/love my opinion and have one of your own. That's what makes up a good, balanced world where everyone has an opinion based on their own research, life experience, common sense, and related thought.
Have a care, have a thought, don't just go with what's popular. I mean, come on, look what that kind of thinking did for the folks of Jones Town. Seriously? Do you want to belong to what you perceive of as the "in" crowd that bad? I hope not. I think not.
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08/23/2022 11:09 PM
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I need to see some I.D.
Tis the first thing asked in hospital. The next thing will be for a copy of an insurance card or verification of an alternate way to pay.
I will not be asking any of those questions here.
Why?
Because I don't care.
Don't misunderstand.
First of all, this isn't a pay site so keep the coins and cards in the pocket, fold the green stuff or pound notes away. No money need exchange hands. All I ask is patience for this to be read.
Second of all, I don't care who you are the person behind the screen. I have no need to identify you beyond - you are human; you have feelings, a life, perhaps you have a job, a spouse, friends, a pet, a life of your own. Perhaps you have none of those things. You see, none of those things should matter to me, and honestly, they don't.
When you come here, sit down, and put on the mantle of your character, THAT is who matters to me. If you are one gender or another, or multiples, or fluid, these things do not concern me. It's not my responsibility to decide who and how you shall represent yourself here. All that matters to me is that you're here. You're consistent in your character and that I believe in your character well enough that my character and yours develop an interactive relationship within the story we create together.
This is where it gets tricky. Am I a cold-unfeeling human? Some days, yes, but most days, no.
In fact, I'm such an empath that I can, like the rest of you, pick up on "feelings" via the conductivity of the crystal and electrical amplification of technology, more than I would if I sat down and talked to you in person. I do care that you do have a life and feelings, and I may discuss some of those issues with you - Because it does matter that we know there are others out there in the world that know we exist.
If I'm the only person who spoke to you today to tell you that you matter - so be it. You do matter. Because you are here, reading this, giving my life a purpose as well. To interact with others here. This is where people require some form of social communication and in an age where more and more of us withdraw to use the anonymity and "safety" of a screen for a social buffer - we still need to connect. If I can be that connection for you, please reach out - but understand, however, I cannot be live your life for you. I will advise you to call a suicide prevention hotline, or 911, if your pleas or drama gets too intense.
Why? Because I have my own issues. I am an adult, I am responsible for my own mental health and welfare. YOU must be responsible for yours. We cannot lay our responsibilities at the feet of others, no matter how consensual, submissive, passive/aggressive we agree to be, there is still personal responsibility involved and yes, there is karma.
We never do know who the other person is behind the screen. The sexy whomever you may be playing with might be 85- years old or 13-years old. We have to trust that the person behind the screen is going to take personal responsibility for engaging in role-play enough to step up and be as much of the character they represent to be adult about whatever they post, whether they are even close to that personna or not.
I've met a lot of men playing women, women playing men, adults playing children, children playing adults, humans playing animals, etc., you get the idea. I'm a woman playing a woman, but you have to take my word for that. Is it your responsibility to "expose" this - find out if I'm catfishing people about this? No, it isn't. I have nothing to gain by lying, although some people are out there catfishing for profit, I'm sure. For them, that's a whole different topic entirely.
The point, however, is the same. Unless and until, people give me a reason to have to look harder, I don't. I may share personal anecdotes from my r/l because I have a rich, long, and diverse one. Also because moments or incidents of my r/l may effect my writing and because I'm an honest person, I may feel I owe it to the person with whom I'm writing, to mention it. (example: I don't write as a pregnant woman: don't want to be one.)
There is power in the proverbial pen - even though by now it's a keyboard. Be careful of yourself and others. Treat them with the respect you'd like to receive. Remember, this is ROLE play, the whole idea is to take on a personna unlike your own and BE them. Don't get so caught up in this Alternate World that you forget - it's Not Real.
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08/14/2022 09:42 AM
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Random Thoughts
Current mood:
 weird
It seems strange to me that on a site where several different people all gather to take on alter identities, other roles, diverse selves, that some can get so angry about not being trustworthy or real? Come on - where's the sense in that? That's like handing a leopard a can of paint and asking him to modify his spots. First of all, leopards don't speak. Secondly, they can't paint, and thirdly, if they didn't eat you they'd just run away. Chances are greater, you'd get hurt and the leopard would end up with the same spots.
This place is an arena for fiction. There is no point in lying, cheating, backstabbing, etc., etc., about one another - it's tantamount to blasting a ghost. It shouldn't matter - these are fictional aspects of selves. That's why they're called "play-by's" - I don't expect anyone to truly believe that is ME. It's not...I "play" at being Sophronia. I use "Sophronia" as a tool to write and post aspects of my personality perhaps that don't get a place or avenue of expression elsewhere.
Whether that is intellect, emotion, gender, species, culture, etc., none of these things should or really do matter. Lines get fuzzy, we do get "attached" to the selves that are portrayed here but we must always remember and remind ourselves, there is a person - a being - on the other side of that illusion that may or may not be anything like the self they portray....and that's okay! People can feel real emotions and have relationships with them so respect should always be given.
We don't know about where the other person behind the screen is at mentally, emotionally, etc. This may be the highlight of their day, or the only kind of support or positive acknowledgment they receive in a day. Why try to crush it? Generally, those that seek to gain "power" by belittling others or trying to "out" them in some way to make the other persons appear small or insignificant in some way are the most insecure, invisible people in their own real world.
It feels good to be important somewhere, even if that place is fictional. It's fine to be the hero of your own story but please remember if you're going to be a hero, BE A HERO...don't go around bashing the little guys just because you can - that's just rude, as well as psychologically quite telling more about yourself than them.
I tend to believe that the idea of gathering on a place called Discord (not judging) in itself is indicative of strife by the name of the platform alone. Could one truly expect peace and harmony where the foundation begins with chaos? I don't know, seems kind of incongruent to me so I continue to avoid Discord, both in life and in fiction.
Yes, it's my blog, so my opinion -
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