Just Words on a Screen...so what?

The other day I got some rather nasty messages from an ebay user who claimed I had sent them an empty box and were quite upset and demanding why I had done what I had done.  Wow, dude, slow down.  Way to jump right away to blaming, demanding, and assuming that what had happened was a personal attack on someone I didn't know.  The first question I asked was, "Was the box damaged?" He replied that there was a hole in the box but no way did a book go through there.  I assured him that there was in fact a book in the box when it left my place.  I asked for pictures of the box so I could see the shape it was in and it appeared that at one of the many post offices it went through, the box was damaged and the post office had tried fixing it.  However, somehow, a 5 pound large textbook got left behind and someone, somewhere, has a Physiology textbook they probably don't want.  I explained that I was sorry but that it had, in fact, been taped up well and packaged tight when it went to the post office but that I'd be willing to give a refund because of damage in transit.  This person was not taking it well though because obviously their life had been hugely inconvenienced.  They said that the post office did not receive a box with a book in it (obviously not realizing how many post offices it went through to get to south FL and that any one of them along the way could have made the mistake) and that I sold him an empty box.  I almost had to laugh at that.  I'd been trying to sell off that book since I left college....in 2004....and I didn't want it anymore!  He demanded the refund but due to Comcast (continued) issues, I didn't have any way of getting a refund to him until the next day because I needed a computer, not an app on a phone to get that done.  I asked him to be patient until the next day when I got to work.  He replied, after midnight, "where's my refund?"  He also responded around 8 am, "Where's my refund?"  I wasn't at work yet and I told him I was headed there soon and I'd get it taken care of.  His words?  "Still waiting.  No refund."  Oh....my...goodness....shake....my....head.  I issued a refund...no word of "Thanks" or even, "I got it. Thanks."  And now to the point of this post.

We live behind computer screens nowadays, writing words on a screen without any thought, care, or consideration behind them anymore.  I see it on facebook, comments left on news articles, and just about anything where there is an opinion (even facts) posted, we feel obligated to not only share our views, but to insult and poke fun of the person who posted it (and leave horrible comments against liberals and conservatives alike, even if it's not a political issue).  We don't feel the repercussions of our words....I mean they are just words on a screen going to another screen with words on it.  People get their panties in a bunch, the hairs on their neck raised on high alert, and their blood pressure up anytime something is posted that they don't agree with.  Just because we don't agree on a point has never been a cause for one to get physically worked up over.  You're responding in anger and stewing over a post about a person you haven't met, are likely not to meet.  However are they doing the same?  Are they as worked up as you?  This isn't the same thing but I read once that bitterness is a poison you take that you intended for the other person to take.  This isn't bitterness but I feel like the affect is the same.  I vowed a few years ago that I would abstain from posting political, religious, social posts on facebook.  Why?  Because I had done it before and unintentionally started arguments and I became hesitant to even open FB for fear of what attack may lie once I logged in. It didn't mean I no longer held views and held them strongly...it just meant that FB was not the platform for me to use.  I liked hearing about others lives, sharing my own with people I didn't get the chance to see very often, and "seeing" people I had long lost contact with.  But I wanted it to be free from strife and high blood pressure.  I can say that I no longer hold any hesitation in opening my FB.  I stay away from any arguments and I will make people "acquaintances" if I realize that most of their posts are trying to stir up trouble or are constantly bashing conservatives (I single that out because I see it a lot on my personal FB news feed).  I still have folks who are constantly (it feels) pushing their beliefs on FB and I'd love to respond...however I will do so in person.  Never on the screen.  If you want to know what I believe, ask me.  I won't hold back.  In fact, I'll state what I believe here.  But I won't discuss it.  It's not for an argument or debate.  You want to have a conversation with me...great.  Let's set a date.  But let's always remember one thing...your words that you put on your screen that travel through cyberspace and arrive instantly at another's screen are, in fact, going to another person who has a life, who loves, and who hurts just like you.  Words hurt.  The kids got it wrong.  Sticks and stones will break my bones and words can wound just as much.


Spoiler alert...don't read on if you don't really want to know.




So who am I?  Really shouldn't be of any surprise here.
I'm a conservative republican who believes wholeheartedly in small government and that the government is not here to solve our social issues.  Please let me keep the money I make and stop giving it away to those who refuse to work (some truly need it, not all though!).  My college education was not free and I survived.  I'm pro-life and I believe that someday I'll see all the lives extinguished here on earth in heaven simply because we couldn't be "inconvenienced" with a baby and it was my body so I can do what I want, despite the fact that another life was taken in the process.  I believe in the literal 6 day Creation, no question...and yes, I'm a scientist too and the two can co-exist.  I believe in the Bible.  I believe that some actions (you can probably guess which ones!) that our society is attempting to legalize and condone are, in fact, a sin.  A sin much like others but still wrong.  However I was taught to not be judgmental and that God told us to love the sinner but hate the sin.  I believe that just because we don't agree on a subject, cause, or political party, we can still be friends, we don't have to argue, and I don't have to agree with you to be tolerant of your beliefs you hold.  However I believe we can still be FB friends.  We may not have a ton to talk about in real life but I'm sure we can come up with something.  

Lost Pony, Stinging Snow, and "What? We Can't Watch Anything Without Power?"

Yesterday was yet another adventure in the ever continuing saga of Amie and Mary Anne adventures.  I wish we'd written them down from the start.  Nothing ever seems out of the ordinary anymore.  Yesterday started out just like any other day....for about 10 minutes.  Amie picked me up for work and said, "Today we're going to go help a neighbor."  Ummm okay?  Amie had gotten a call at 4 am asking if we had any horses out because there were a few on Springboro Rd.  She checked and we didn't and then while she was going back to sleep, she remembered that a neighbor had a grey horse.  She called and it was them.  The police got one horse rounded up and back into one of our pastures but his brown stud colt was still loose.  So we set out in the stinging ice mixture falling from the sky (much earlier than predicted) to find this colt...with no idea where to start.  Since he wasn't running the roads and no one had seen him, I took to the woods where our early morning trail rides take place in the summer.  The idea was that if he had slipped and fallen into a ravine, he probably couldn't have gotten out because he was either injured or the fact that our ravines are steep and the snow was so wet he wouldn't have had a chance.  I checked all the ravines at the top of the hill before heading towards Ghost Cabin, down to the creek, and from there I went south towards St Rd 18 where I encountered bogs and, sadly, tons of junk.  I knew if he had gotten down there he would have gotten tangled with the junk that was down there (why people?), he would have gotten hurt and would probably still be down there. I got so far down into one ravine that was so narrow that even if I was willing to get into the small creek of water flowing through at the bottom, it wasn't wide enough for me to walk.  I didn't really want to walk out and then go around to check next to the river so I decided to go up.  I crawled, hands and knees, grabbing tree roots, and made my way up.  I popped up behind a neighbor's house and then proceeded to go down the other side on my butt.  Now I was next to the river and at this point I could have sworn I heard a horse snort so I followed to the point where I thought I heard the noise but I couldn't find anything so I started walking towards camp.  I was covered in snow, clothes were wet and heavy, but I was soaked with sweat underneath.  I get back to the creek and I found 4 hoof prints.  With the heavy snow and mud underneath, they weren't clear horse prints but the size, depth, and shape were the same.  But there were only 4.  This was right next to the river where the creek flowed into it.  I go up a little and find 4 more and it looks like he's following the creek, in and out.  A little bit more and I found 4 more...and that was it.  I looked all around the area and didn't find anymore tracks, so I assumed he started following the creek back up.  I radioed to Amie who was back from checking other areas and she was going to go into the creek the opposite way and see if she found any more evidence.  I headed out the other way from the valley and met up with her and after 2 hours, 3 miles, and lots of snow....we never saw the horse.  The neighbor was quite grateful that we tried.  (As of evening time, still no sign)  The snow was blinding now and we needed to get our own horses fed so we could go inside and warm up.

Feeding took a few hours as we set out a few more round bales, put blankets on, and gave the mini farm animals more straw to snuggle into.  As we finished, we got word that power was out.  And the one thing we wanted to do after the morning we'd had?  Take a shower, get warm, and watch movies. It's amazing how quiet a house is without power.  Nothing's running-no fish tank, heater, fridge, nothing.  So quiet.  The kids were in despair wondering what they were going to do for the rest of the day!  Reminding them to not use the iPad.  Why?  Well there's no power left.  So?  So if it's dead, it's dead and we can't recharge it.  Yeah but I want to play now.  :-P  Kids.  They headed out to play in the snow while I was able to use my charged computer to do a little non-internet work.  I think the power came back around 5ish and we were set.  Everyone was happy, electronics got charged, and the heat felt great.  Just another day here.