Harper in training

Things with Dad's lack-of-will proceed apace. Which is to say, slow as molasses running uphill at this time of year. *sigh*

The Tarot reading classes are really awesome! I did a practice reading (my first!) the other day and even though I still had to use my notes on meanings, I was still able to open up to my intuitive side and give a halfway decent reading. I guess with some things you just have to jump in with both feet!

I am still writing every day, though I have not posted anything yet this year. This needs to change soon. I have a few feelings about fandom (not specifically Homestuck, but it's my main fandom these days) in general.

I've seen some pretty nasty things go on, not just lately, but in every fandom I've been involved in or witnessed or just heard of. I just wonder what makes some people act so nastily to each other. I wonder about people who will go on anon-commenting and tell someone who has been talking about suicide to "just end it all already".

I wonder about shippers. I mean, I consider myself a shipper but what makes people get so up in arms over it? I mean, you're shipping fictional characters (or real people used as fictional characters)! Why does it have to be something to argue over to the point of threats and serious meanness?

It might have something to do with the age of the participants, I suppose, but I don't really take that as much of an excuse to just not be civil. I really do try to treat anyone I comment to online as if they are sitting right in front of me (ok, with a little more bravery, since in Real Life [tm] I am kind of awkward).

I know meanness happens outside of fandom, but I just...wonder at it on the inside. Because this is something we do for fun, so why can't we just...let it be fun?

Related Tumblr thoughts:

Tumblr, to be honest, is a really lousy platform for fandom. It's hard to have a decent discussion without clogging up the dashboard--and to follow a discussion you are not necessarily a part of is annoying as hell. It's great for sharing art and pictures...but not so great for anything else. I enjoy Tumblr simply because of the visuals, but I am not fond of the Tumblr "social justice" memes, and definitely not a fan of how difficult it is to get to know people on there or have a conversation!

That said, I have been considering making some sort of blog/Tumblr called "Miss Shelle's guide to Fandom Manners" or something. Knowing me, it would never get off the ground, though.

Yes, this is how I greeted a fair few of my friends when I was in high school. Invariably, the answer was, "not much". :D

Quick updatey thing:

-fic writing proceeds apace. No, forget apace, it's proceeding like a runaway freight train. My brain cannot process all of my ideas. Homestuck is probably one of the most fertile breeding grounds for fanfic I've ever come across. At least for me it is. I'm having an awesome time with it.

-We survived our stupid winter storm. I call it the stupid winter storm because it's ridiculous that such a small amount of wet, heavy snow could do SO much damage. We only lost power for about 22 hours, and for that I'm eternally grateful. Over a week later, there are still some places with no power. Sheesh.

-We are down one income, currently. Hubby is trying to find another second job. In the meantime, it's kinda nice to have him home more often. <3 I wish we didn't need the money so bad.

-Struggling with blood sugars. Send some healthy vibes my way, ok? We're headlong into "candy season" here.

-My spiritual life is starting to smooth out, I think. I wish I could make you all understand what sort of peace I'm experiencing, so much different than living through fundamentalist Christian hell. I want to get back to the curious place I was as a young teenager--I know that sounds "bad" but from ages 14 to about...well, about 30, I deprived myself of true spiritual exploration. I've been climbing up from that but it's difficult to free myself of the sort of bindings I put on my spirit in the name of being "born-again". It's all very difficult to explain.

For well over 20 years, I told myself I could not do certain things that in my heart, I wanted to do, and for well over 20 years, I tried to make myself fit a certain mold that wasn't really 'me'.

I'm not denying myself anymore, and it's incredibly liberating...and freakin' *tiring*!

But good. It's all good.

How is everyone else? <3

I have so many thoughts and I will try to get out some of them.

As you may or may not have known, my area in Western MA got pummeled by tornadoes on June 1st. A couple of my coworkers lost significant property...and some people lost everything. Everything.

And so, here is my rant.

Look. Just because it's a heavily damaged property that was damaged by these tornadoes (which we hardly EVER get in this neck of the woods) and it's on a public road, this does NOT mean that you can come on the property to look around and take pictures. It does NOT mean that you can throw your trash around while you do look. It does NOT mean that you can take a nice, leisurely drive through the areas where people are TRYING to work and clean up the devastation.

This was someone's home. They might even POSSIBLY be living there, trying to clean up so they can continue living there. And they might also be having a very difficult time doing so.

IT IS NOT A TOURIST AREA/DESTINATION AND YOU SHOULD NOT TREAT IT AS SUCH.

This was your rant for today. Thank you.

For the record, me and mine are fine and unscathed...my area was missed by just about everything, for which I feel grateful and very, very lucky.