10.30.06
Trial by Fire
Sometimes, life hands you roses. Sometimes, it brings people into your life who will not only try to steal your roses, but also rob you of every other joy that you have. This just proves how fleeting happiness is. If you are happy now, hang on to that feeling with all of your might because just around the corner, there may be some nasty, vicious, jealous, hateful person, who is more than willing to rob you of that happiness.
They say that most crimes are committed by someone who knows the victim. Certainly, it is a crime to try to rob another person of their zest for life. For the past three days, I have been under attack by e-mail, accused of all sorts of things, way in the past, that never happened. Just like the Underground Railroad story about the use of quilts as signal devices, I cannot prove that these alleged things did not happen. I can only be sad, devastated, in fact, to think that a family member would tell such untruths about me.
The world is getting to be more unreasonable and demanding. The letters I am receiving from readers also reflect a profound change. You’d think that I owed them an answer to every little question they have ever conjured up about quilting, and if I don’t have an answer, then I am just no good. It’s pretty discouraging. I have to wonder if I am the only professional running into this kind of shabby treatment.
As for me, I can’t afford negative people in my life. I struggle to keep a positive outlook, and to share quality information in an upbeat way. When all I get back is criticism, it sure does bite. Sometimes, I wish I were not a part of the human race, that great collection of “me firsts.”
So, I am feeling jaded and a whole lot less whole or well, in light of these recent “letters.” There is another side to my look-on-the-bright-side personality, and today, you are seeing it: the total disenchantment with the whole sorry lot of humanity. Yet, being me, I will continue to do my best, in spite of adversity. Part of the treatment is “just due” for my “being out there,” - just a part of the price to pay.
As the Spanish song says, I hope that tomorrow brings better times.
Pat, from the “Spider’s Web”
