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The Biggest Asshole

I do not, as a rule, attack people.

I do, as a rule, respond to attacks in a disproportionate manner.

So folks consider me an asshole.

Because I am.

I am an asshole because I don't let my insecurities rule me.

I am an asshole because I refuse to be intimidated.

I am an asshole because I publish my embarrassments and rob them of their power.

I am an asshole because I enforce the rule that compromise is mutual

I am an asshole because I hold myself to the same standards I expect of others

To be honest, none of this seems wrong or bad to me but I have learned that my opinion on this matter is in the minority.

And so folks decide they will be the one person in the world who can cow me and they read my blogs and essays and commentary and they try and try and try to insult me with things they want to be hurtful.  And they do this why?  They do this to "defend" someone else.

Let's get this laid out properly.  I set some inane babbling of mine down in ink or the electronic equivalent and Person A decides they will show me and lays out what they are convinced will be a blistering and devastating attack to leave me curled into a ball in the corner begging for mercy.

After I stop laughing I respond in as a direct and offensive manner as I can devise and Person A tells Person B and Person B decides THEY will show me. 

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Since the early 1990's I've been involved in discussions on message boards.  My first two years of college were covered by a scholarship arranged around Debate.  I grew up with four (4) intelligent and willful brothers.  I've got 25+ years in corporate America, two (2) divorces, two (2) grown sons, 13+ years in the PA family courts, 30+ years acting experience in school and community theatre, and 10+ years of teaching martial arts.

Think about it folks, what do you believe you can say that I have not heard before and what threat do you think you can issue that I have not mocked before?

It's not that I am smarter, it's that you care about what people say about you.  You need other people to think well of you.  You want people to think you are nice.

So why am I writing this? 

I am writing this because, inevitably, some misguided person will decide that the world needs to be defended from me minding my own damn business and what will start will be angst for them and entertainment for me.

Let me give you folks some perspective.  I've got an active imagination and an ability to piss people off.  I have resources and knowledge that I will use just to extend the entertainment for me.  Unless you are prepared to enter into one of these idiotic circumstances with the attitude of "I want to be entertained" then you do not stand a chance.

Because, again, these types of things are entertainment for me.  I once asked to be removed from a mailing list.  The people refused.  I asked a couple more times, they decided to show me who was boss.

So I spend the next three (3) years publishing top ten lists, developing websites, collecting dirt, provoking, taunting, mocking, and laughing at them.  People do stupid things when they are angry, so I got them angry and they did stupid thing after stupid thing until they finally dissolved as a group.

And while I do not look back at that situation with pride, I was entertained on a weekly basis for over three (3) years and folks, pride is over rated.

So why now?

Elections are coming up soon and the stance I tool last election is still valid.

You can review that here:

http://www.neopoet.com/blog/35981-ill-be-running-aec-again

OK?  So what?

Neopoet.com is a private community with Terms of Use and Community Guidelines and a number of volunteer roles that some folks fill through a sacrifice of their time. 

Since the people who do not care for me will not mobilize to ensure I am not elected, I will be elected to another term on the AEC.  And I will continue to gig folks when they violate the rules or when they pretend authority they do not have or when they decide they must take me to task for writing yet another idiotic blog post.

So what does this all mean?

My preference is to have reasonable conversations and discussions and disagreements with people.  We may never convince each other to change our stance but we can state our case and believe that folks who do not share our outlook need not be bad people.

Since this rarely happens and my patience is exhausted, the first comment or attack or anything that abandons logic and reason toward me is my license to be entertained at the attacker's expense.

Why?

Because I am an asshole.

And while I welcome harsh critique on my writing, telling me that I have a hole in my soul or no empathy or that I dress funny or am going to hell or will die alone or what-the-fuck-ever you are certain will stop me in my tracks will always have the following result:

I will be laughing, you will not.

If you are reading this right now and feel the urge to give me what for, stop.  Walk away.  I know I am not worth your time but the thing you must realize is that my entertainment is ALWAYS worth my time.  I am never having a fight or argument with you, that should be obvious after the first exchange.  All I am doing is mocking and provoking you in order to have stories and chuckles to share.

Regardless, someone will respond and make some simplistic and moronic judgment and then be surprised at my response.  Then others will come in to "defend" them and everyone involved, save me, will be angry. 

Me, I'll be laughing , at you.