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Pinniped Started conversation May 23, 2009
Wo Rich
You just got me with the not-Viewer Tag btw. That's good. It proves your sense of humour was intact as recently as 29th September 2004.
There's a tetchy e-mail Stretcherwise heading for you as I write, but this isn't about those specifics. I just wanted to let you know something about the vibes you're giving out. You might not realise it, but you're making your contributions to h2g2 seem (to me at least) like a resented burden. That's not the Rich we know and love, and it's not the Rich anyone will appreciate either, which will only drive the spiral down.
I guess RL stuff is tough now, but you're allowed to step back, you know. You don't owe anybody anything, and nothing is dependent on your sacrifice. You should put as much into h2g2 as it repays you in pleasure. There's no sense in putting in more, not for any of us.
Oh, yeah. That's not a licence for bad-tempered delegation to lighten your load either. Folk won't run round after you if you're cold and dismissive, particularly if they're seals.
Tell me to waddle off if you think I'm being more than usually impertinent, of course. (Only don't do it in a hurry, all snappy like. You know I'll always insist on a nice long talk about it).
Lighten up, my friend, OK?
Pin
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Pinniped Posted May 24, 2009
That was before your return e-mail, in case it's unclear and/or relevant.
I guess you do think I'm impertinent then, and personal, and judgemental. I guess I thought that was a clever way to goad you into trying something risky.
Your court I guess, but hey, names are no big deal where I come from.
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Skankyrich [?] Posted May 25, 2009
Woah there, Pin! Steady on, old chap. You seem to be labouring under a couple of misapprehensions, which isn't like you at all.
Life is brilliant. I decided a while ago that I wouldn't do anything I felt compelled to do, and that decision has been quite liberating. I'm doing a lot fewer camps this year and have introduced new working patterns at work, meaning I only work five days a week rather than six most of the time now. So I have time to do more that I want to do; sit out in the garden with Lainey and have a bottle of wine and an al fresco dinner, play cricket, see friends and family more. And I've lost two stone and feel much better about myself as well. So there's nothing 'tough' about life at all, because I've made it easy for myself. I'm having a lot of fun
You also seem to think I'm contributing enough to h2g2 for it to be stressful. That's interesting, because I hardly do anything at all these days. This year, I've written a few Toubab Travels (actually written out there in The Gambia) and a couple of cricket columns; all vanity writing, really. There are a couple of other Posty things I'm working on and a little Aviating, but entirely on my own terms and purely because I think they'll be fun. So my only regular contribution to the site is Post editing. Every issue, I ask myself 'If I was doing this issue solo, would I still love it enough to do it?', and every issue it's a 'yes'. The day I answer that question with a 'no' is the day I give my notice.
So I'm totally relaxed about life, and about h2g2. If I don't enjoy it, I don't do it.
That of course brings me on to your email of the other night. I have no idea why on earth you would want to 'goad' me into doing things a different way, when up until now we've done so well in discussing the aspects we've disagreed on and changed things as we've gone along. What you sent wasn't impertinent - one of the things I like and admire in you most is your fearlessness in presenting your views, and long may that continue - but it was certainly personal and judgemental. We've been there before, when we first started off this idea. I've enjoyed being part of The Stretcher, but if we've moved from intelligent, passionate debates to something a little more nasty, petty and abusive, I'd rather spend that evening sitting the garden with a cup of tea and a couple of my friends around. So from now on, that's exactly what I'm going to do. I doubt very much whether my absence will have a detrimental effect on the competition, anyway.
Finally, because it's a sunny day and I've been inside typing for long enough, I don't have an ounce of bad feeling towards you over this. I still have a huge amount of respect and admiration for what you've done, both on the Stretcher and in the wider site, and I genuinely wish you all the best. For everything that's gone on in the last couple of days, I still feel privileged to call you a friend, and you'd still be welcome down in Devon any time.
And I'm very glad you got sucked in to the trap. You're my biggest scalp yet
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Pinniped Posted May 25, 2009
That's good, a relief in fact. As long as it's just a side of me that you're tired of, it's no big deal. We'll leave it there then. No hard feelings my side either.
It's been good, the Stretcher. It shows what can be done, but I think the missions of the three of us are maybe just a bit too different for us to be its ideal team.
GB and Bel might badger you to come back, I guess, but I won't.
See you around.
Pin
(and sorry you took it as an insult. I can't pretend it slipped out, because I wrote it, and we write what we mean to say. So you're smart enough to realise that the difference here is that I aimed just inside the line and you think I was over it. This happens when people aim at lines. The thing we yet have to learn about each other is why I need to, and how come you don't)
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Skankyrich [?] Posted May 26, 2009
'So you're smart enough to realise that the difference here is that I aimed just inside the line and you think I was over it. This happens when people aim at lines. The thing we yet have to learn about each other is why I need to, and how come you don't.'
Well put.
Chill out, have an , and keep in touch.
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