regarding student organizations etc
Jun. 1st, 2004 01:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivendellroseThis will be a rant. I apologize to the people who have no idea what I'm talking about, and I apologize even more to the people who do know what I'm talking about, because it's gonna be pretty damned clear who and what I'm talking about. If I step on toes, I apologize - this is, however, my forum to speak my mind on whatever issues I like. So here goes.
Being a member of organizations can be so fulfilling and rewarding - I've met almost all of my current friends through student organizations here at school. In a word, the best part of being in such a group is The People.
So what's the worst thing about participating in an organization? Sadly, that would also be... The People. Obviously not the same people as mentioned in the previous point. But still.
Why am I ranting about this today? Because I have a group that I love. I adore many (if not most) of the people in it, I adore the goals of the group, I adore the practices of the group, and I have generally been very happy with the organization as a whole. I have only one complaint, really, to speak of. And that would be - you guessed it! - The People. Specifically a very small, but all-too vocal, minority of the people - a few annoying, sententious, self-righteous people who feel that they can dictate to the rest of the group on any subject that they feel qualified to speak on... and, ladies and gentlemen, in the case of These People, that seems to be any subject that comes up.
There's one of these in each of the organizations I participate in, although in one the person is at least a nice person and, despite occasional fits of ill temper, truly does offer good advice and speak reasonably most of the time. In the other... well, let's just say that That Person and I do not get along well, and I have no desire, really, to mend that fact. When someone looks down on me, consistently, from the first moment I met them, I tend to get a little pissed off. And I tend to not want to be around that person anymore. In fact, I tend to avoid meetings, events, and pretty much any gathering where I know that person will be present, just because I don't fucking want to deal with them. This Person is like nails on a blackboard to me, and I can't help but cringe whenever They speak or (god help us) write.
And now I'm in a position of either going to a meeting tonight at which This Person seems already to have designated themself organizer and would-be chairperson of every gods-damned function that we need to discuss, along with Another Person with whom I am not on the friendliest of terms, and despite my promise to involve myself in This Group next year, I just fucking don't want to go. I really don't. Because I can't stand the idea of spending an hour around This Person and their snotty, self-righteous, obnoxious, know-it-all, 'you should be grateful that I'm taking time with you' attitude. That's an hour, quite frankly, that I could be spending either with people I actually like, or doing something that needs to get done - and gods know that at the moment I have more than enough things that need doing.
Anyway. Now that I'm all worked up, I need to go try to find the last few costume bits for my performance Thursday. And do some soul-searching as to what's more important to me - my own enjoyment and sanity for an hour or two this evening, or my devotion to a group.
One last thing - I ask, for the sake of my paranoid nerves, that if anyone actually chooses to read and comment on that god-awful bitch-fest I just wrote, please don't name names. Thanks. It's one thing for me to rant rabidly, but someone anonymously. It's a totally other thing for the actual names to be brought up, and I'd rather not deal with that.
ETA: Okay, I totally didn't think of this when I wrote this entry. This Person of whom I bitch is NOT anyone in Dragon's Pen. Please - you guys are the folks I hang out with most, not to mention the fact that I know very well you all can see my LJ. I am not bitching about you. I promise. This is a person, in fact, who very few of you people even know exists. So don't worry. *Snuggles*
Being a member of organizations can be so fulfilling and rewarding - I've met almost all of my current friends through student organizations here at school. In a word, the best part of being in such a group is The People.
So what's the worst thing about participating in an organization? Sadly, that would also be... The People. Obviously not the same people as mentioned in the previous point. But still.
Why am I ranting about this today? Because I have a group that I love. I adore many (if not most) of the people in it, I adore the goals of the group, I adore the practices of the group, and I have generally been very happy with the organization as a whole. I have only one complaint, really, to speak of. And that would be - you guessed it! - The People. Specifically a very small, but all-too vocal, minority of the people - a few annoying, sententious, self-righteous people who feel that they can dictate to the rest of the group on any subject that they feel qualified to speak on... and, ladies and gentlemen, in the case of These People, that seems to be any subject that comes up.
There's one of these in each of the organizations I participate in, although in one the person is at least a nice person and, despite occasional fits of ill temper, truly does offer good advice and speak reasonably most of the time. In the other... well, let's just say that That Person and I do not get along well, and I have no desire, really, to mend that fact. When someone looks down on me, consistently, from the first moment I met them, I tend to get a little pissed off. And I tend to not want to be around that person anymore. In fact, I tend to avoid meetings, events, and pretty much any gathering where I know that person will be present, just because I don't fucking want to deal with them. This Person is like nails on a blackboard to me, and I can't help but cringe whenever They speak or (god help us) write.
And now I'm in a position of either going to a meeting tonight at which This Person seems already to have designated themself organizer and would-be chairperson of every gods-damned function that we need to discuss, along with Another Person with whom I am not on the friendliest of terms, and despite my promise to involve myself in This Group next year, I just fucking don't want to go. I really don't. Because I can't stand the idea of spending an hour around This Person and their snotty, self-righteous, obnoxious, know-it-all, 'you should be grateful that I'm taking time with you' attitude. That's an hour, quite frankly, that I could be spending either with people I actually like, or doing something that needs to get done - and gods know that at the moment I have more than enough things that need doing.
Anyway. Now that I'm all worked up, I need to go try to find the last few costume bits for my performance Thursday. And do some soul-searching as to what's more important to me - my own enjoyment and sanity for an hour or two this evening, or my devotion to a group.
One last thing - I ask, for the sake of my paranoid nerves, that if anyone actually chooses to read and comment on that god-awful bitch-fest I just wrote, please don't name names. Thanks. It's one thing for me to rant rabidly, but someone anonymously. It's a totally other thing for the actual names to be brought up, and I'd rather not deal with that.
ETA: Okay, I totally didn't think of this when I wrote this entry. This Person of whom I bitch is NOT anyone in Dragon's Pen. Please - you guys are the folks I hang out with most, not to mention the fact that I know very well you all can see my LJ. I am not bitching about you. I promise. This is a person, in fact, who very few of you people even know exists. So don't worry. *Snuggles*
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no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 01:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 04:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 02:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 04:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 02:14 pm (UTC)*pets the Jen to calm her, like a kitty*
no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 02:18 pm (UTC)Bethany
no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 02:26 pm (UTC)I am thinking of going tonight as well, since I have a fair amount of history with the group, and I would like to see it continue as well.
can't make any promises though.
bagder
no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 04:08 pm (UTC)sacrificeseneschal.no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 04:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 04:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 04:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 04:54 pm (UTC)Putting up with them. *Look of extreme steely determination.*
...Not to mention being so damned nice about it that any other person around will see exactly who's the bitch and who isn't, goddammit.
Hooray for being passive!aggressive. ^.~
no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 05:31 pm (UTC)evening, I'll be home with bated breath...bad breath? No...that would be bated... ;P
*Proud of you*
no subject
Date: 2004-06-02 10:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 11:59 pm (UTC)Oh and by the way you did a find job not reaching over the table to smack that person. I know how hard it must of been for you.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-02 10:17 am (UTC)I'm going to stop bitching, now, though - either way, I'm stuck with her as long as I'm in the group, and I'm damned well not leaving on her account.