I’ve started to think of the digging community as a sandbox. We’re all digging in the same little wooden box. You’ve got the kids who play well together, the kids who occasionally sling sand… and the kids who come along, mistake the sandbox for a catbox, and shit all over everyone else. Lately, there has been an excess of the latter. Rather than take responsibility for scooping the catbox, I’ve chosen instead to take a break from the sandbox…. but the ammonia stench is getting to be too much to ignore.
Initially, I jumped right into the catbox and joined in the sand-slinging. When I finally took to airing my dirty laundry in a catastrophic blog post and shared a draft with my publisher, he launched into hostage-negotiator-mode and diffused my reactionary explosion. I withdrew from the situation long enough to realize he was right. Perhaps I’d spent too much time wrestling in the catbox. Not only was I looking to air my dirty laundry in a public setting, but my dirty laundry was smeared with shit…. and that runs downhill.
All joking aside, I’ve been upset by this juvenile back-and-forth between grown men and women—some of whom are old enough to be my parents. For those of you who aren’t aware, I’m only twenty-seven. With the scars from high school still (relatively) fresh, I can tell you that this behavior is reminiscent of sophomores shuffling from chemistry to algebra class. This jealousy and pettiness is getting old. Why are we behaving like tenth graders? Can we all just get along?
The sandbox is becoming a shitbox. For instance… I recently witnessed a feral little alley cat attacking a more upstanding breed of kitty about her feline heritage. Apparently the sandbox is exclusive to cats of certain pedigree. For example, Siamese cats are always allowed in the sandbox. Calicos are questionable. However, those damned Romani cats had better pack their little gypsy wagons and get the hell out of the sandbox. Don’t even get me started with those black cats bringing their bad luck into the sandbox…
Apparently, we have created an environment that accepts hatred. This drama is out of control. We are all in the sandbox for the same reason. We all love to dig. We love to meet others who share our passion. We love to enjoy our hobby without the shit-slingers and occasional feral cat slinking around the perimeter. Take it from a borderline crazy cat lady… some cats are just meant to be feral. They can’t be tamed. They can’t be domesticated. They will always be looking for a sandbox to shit in.
Maybe its time to scoop that turd and call animal control…