Choices

“Some men just want to watch the world burn…”

This has been the sad reality of the puppy community. I’ve seen so many pups step up to try and get a foothold to make things better for the throngs of new pups that have surfaced recently. They’re met with scorn and scoff from a community that doesn’t know the ground it stands on.

I’ve heard so many puppies criticize what exists now. They jump in and attack that which they do not understand. They’re quick to criticize and slow to listen. They seek out the weak and pounce as if their ill-gotten gossip is going to somehow lead to a growth or eureka moment.

Spreading rumor and holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.

I don’t actively participate in the gossip and rumors that I see and hear on Facebook as well as other places. For me, there is no positive gain to be had. When friends of mine are hurt, I listen and listen empathically. I seek understanding before I jump to judgment or conclusions. What I want is inclusivity, not decisive breaks.

I’ve heard from pups that there aren’t “leaders” in the pup community. There are. And they are actually rather plentiful. They jump in to provide sustenance, and a ground to walk on for the new pups that are coming to our kink faster than anything else.

Yet where is the power? It’s in the gossipers, the nay-sayers, the people who would rather burn down the bridge on which they walk on, than to risk anything of themselves to bring something positive to the puppy community.

This community does not lack leadership. It lacks depth. There is no moral code of conduct for how people are to treat others. The golden rule does not apply. Why did letting go of day-to-day cares turn into a free-for-all bloodbath about who can tear down the most voices and destroy the most progress? It’s ridiculous, and it’s pitiful.

I look up to so many members of this community. They work so hard to keep the foundation of Pup play afloat. Even while the members of the community they love so dear seek to set it ablaze with themselves onboard.

You can change the community. You really can. I started out as a complete nobody and because I thought I had some things to offer, I opened my mouth and mind to love and community building. I’ve been met by such wonderful acceptance by both other community leaders and those just in the community that I doubt I’ll be stopping soon.

You too have a voice. A voice for good and for change. And you have your own way of affecting change. I have the ability to put my voice out there in word or video. You may not. But you may have power in other areas of your life. Use your powers for good.

It’s easy to sensationalize the negative. It’s what mainstream media is all about. The highest rated news is the most catastrophic. Love does not sell newspapers, calamity does. But I’ve spoken to oh so many who crave that ten minutes at the end of a news broadcast where they showcase a good deed, a tender word, or a loving gesture. I myself have spent some nights binge-watching those stories on YouTube to get away from the shouting hateful voices that seem to be all around us.

I will no longer stand idly by and watch as people who have done absolutely nothing to build bridges, decide to throw a torch on the backs of the people they stand on. A pox on thee. You are a leech on the blood of those you stand on.

And for those who are fighting to make a change, who embrace the positive, who listen empathically, and who value connection over being “right”, I will fight for you. I will fight until my very last breath. You are who I want to see more from. It’s time to turn off those negative voices who get the most press. It’s time to tune into the positive, the gracious, the kind, and sometimes the quietest voices in the back of people longing to build something more, something greater, and something deeper.

It’s time to make a change. What kind is up to you. For the sake of my community, I hope you make the right one.