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Drama: Watering the Shmeng-Garden |
Posted by
Schizo on Wednesday, August 04, 2004 - 04:01 AM PST
As most people know, we recently went through one of our fairly routine Shmeng purges. Noisy idiots and twits of all varieties had been growing like weeds, and had been neglected to the point that they seemed likely to overtake all that makes Shmeng worth-while. Unfortunately, weeding, especially with well-rooted weeds, tends to cause disruption in the soil of a garden, and the roots of many valuable plants can become dislodged in the process. When this happens, it is necessary to re-seat the roots, and baby the plants until they recover. Also, it is necessary to keep weeding, lest the weeds choke out the flowers again.
Shmeng is no different. Many of us felt hurt and unsettled by the violence of the purge. While it is necessary to continue to keep up with our routine maintenance when it comes to the noisy and unpleasant, it is also necessary for those who make Shmeng beautiful to recieve the praise and nurture they deserve.
So, here goes. In alphabetical order. Again.
Arthegarn, your brilliant mind and lawyer-esque skill in debate enrich us all. We are all put to shame by the perfection of your English, and make us hang our heads for the lack of work most of us put towards a second language. You have the courage to bring up opinions and points of view that are as deviant from the normal Shmeng mindset as Shmeng can be from the rest of society. This helps us not only rethink our own views, but also to reconsider the value of the opinions of those who differ from us. And on top of all this intelligence and courage, you somehow seem to avoid the sort of cocky, know-it-all-ness that many superbly intelligent people fall into.
Bettie X, girl, you inspire me. Your Satanic self-empowerment and bad-assery is as amusing as it is refreshing. Not to mention that you have single-handedly educated us all on the beauty of bats and the horrors of the slaughter house. Your ability to make a stand for what you believe in helps to push us all to do the same. Not to mention your amazing artistic talents. You give Dali a run for his money, girl.
Callei, your patience as an editor is epic. You would not be labelled as cranky nearly as often if people really understood all you put up with and all the work you put into this site. You are intelligent, classy, and very honest. Twits fear you and true Shmenglings love you. Keep up the good work, girl, because Shmeng could not exist without you.
Comedian, you have an amazing insight into the common man. Your powers of observation, and your empathy for the people around you sometimes takes my breath away. I have seen you grow into yourself over the past couple of years, and look forward to seeing what the next couple bring out in you.
Devin, what can we say? You are the keeper of the vibe and the webmaster. How do you manage to be so much larger than life, and yet so approachable? Your calm wisdom and wide-open heart is matched by your common sense. And that's not even mentioning your super-human technical skills in creating and maintaining this monster of a website. Bravo.
Dolorosa, my crazy sailor. From your wild Navy days in Japan where you entertained us and broke our hearts all at once, to your Californian bar rampages, to your mellower times now as a new father, you have kept us waiting on the edge of our seats for your next newsbreak. You are also the king of compliments, with a heart of gold. Little Eva is a very lucky girl.
Feralucce, I watch you in your dogged fight against stupidity. I see you restrain yourself from roasting idiots as harshly as you would like, and I see them kick dirt in your face in return. I see how you long to be left alone, to isolate yourself from these pestering gadflies, but you don't give up, do you. Thankyou for that, and your brilliant photos as well. When Shmeng was young, I didn't care for you much. In fact, you irritated the hell out of me. But now, I consider you one of those without which Shmeng would be crippled and incomplete.
IamSquid, you are ridiculous, and occasionally annoying, but I can't help but value you. I still can't figure out how you can consistently insist that you are indeed a giant squid, and still be taken seriously! But under that fascetious exterior lies a heart of gold, and an intelligent (although perhaps not always perfectly organized) mind.
Ickgirl - those who are new to Shmeng do not know that there is a huge hole here. But those of us who remember you miss you and wish you would come back.
Meranda-Jade, you are my inspiration as a mother and a woman. And, even though your gentle heart did not serve you so well in the Tough Love forum, I still value it highly. Thankyou for taking us up short, and reminding us that sheer cruelty was out of order. That, indeed, tough love is about tough LOVE, and instruction should never be indulged in for the sake of causing pain. You are wise, kind, and your ability to combine nurturing motherhood and naughty sexuality is an inspiration. Thankyou for helping us to see that the two walk hand-in-hand, and that the fun doesn't end when the kids come.
Monlycus. So often in the last month or so you have been upbraided for the way you withdraw yourself from society. But what else would we expect from the Lone Wolf? You are the hermit, the searcher. No one can dig down to the rock bottom of a topic like yourself, and if you can handle all the multi-syllabic words, one finds that your wit is sharp. In fact, you remind me frighteningly of my brother. The same difficulty in social interaction, but the same brilliance and intelligence, the same capricious sense of humor and the same roll and tumble of wording. I have a very big place in my heart for you, although I haven't interacted with you as much as with some others here.
MystressRavynDarque - you are in the middle of a seeking and exploring time. You are just on that brink of life, where you are finally able to decide what you want to be. You are looking and listening, tasting and feeling, and experiencing all that you can. You are an inspiration as well - what a recent high-school graduate should be. Eventually you will mellow down into whatever it is that you are to be, but until then, you are heading about things the right way. I only wish I had the opportunities you have when I was your age.
Shade, you are the King of Smut. Whenever we see an intelligent discourse on sex, it is safe to assume that your name will be among the authors. And who can forget Toy Dolls? The most amazing smut-series on this site, may it continue again before long.
Vampcourt, you wonderful pissy Virgo bitch you! What would we do without your bad temper, the mental image of you and Bettie on drunken rampages through the mall, and your incredibly, beautifully twisted artwork? Not to mention your talent in eye-makeup. We are all fucking jealous of your amazing ablilty to apply eye-makeup. Keep up the bad attitude, and keep drawing, please!
Of course, there are more. Some of you I have not known for long, or I just haven't interacted with you personally, or just don't feel I know you as well for whatever lame reason. But you still fill up Shmeng with worth and intelligence, even if I can't pinpoint exactly why or how right now. I'm sure I will eventually. Some of these (but not all, by any means) that I will include in my honorable mention are Britva, Closetgothbabe, Daria 4, Domkitten, EyeCandyRayce, Merry Widow, MorteAscendo, Rae, Rogue, and SindelChaos. All of you, I value, highly. I just can't seem to come up with a paragraph about it now.
These are the people who make Shmeng a paradise. All this rich display of personality, talent, intelligence, and vibe. Where else can you find a list like this? With such variety, and yet such cohesiveness? This is what keeps me coming back. This is what keeps me dealing with the minor annoyances. This is what makes weeding the garden worth it. I love you all. Thankyou for being who you are, and sharing it with the rest of us.
Please, people, add to this. I know I have missed people, or qualities in the people I have included. Let's feed and water and nurture this beautiful garden. We have fulfilled our duty in removing the unsightly and harmful weeds, but let's not forget that there is more to gardening than weeding. Let's cultivate the fruit, beauty, and fragrance that Shmeng is capable of, encouraging each of us to flower. To become what we are meant to be - a restful and bountiful haven in this world's wasteland.
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Average Rating : 5.0
Total ratings : 8
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Watering the Shmeng-Garden | Login/Create an account | 40 Comments |
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Re: Watering the Shmeng-Garden
by inward (-)
on Aug 04, 2004 - 06:24 AM
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Although I am new around here and may well fit the "noisy idiots and twits" category - allow me to say that this article outlines the heart of goth (at least from my perspective): do not only hate the common, but also love the rare.
I have much to learn from Shmeng.
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Re: Watering the Shmeng-Garden
by KittyGoesMrow on Aug 04, 2004 - 08:54 AM
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Heh... I think that I too fit into the noisy idiots or twits category even though i've been here for a while but not quite as long as some. MRD introduced me to the site and Devin gave me the desire to join this wonderful community. I am not ashamed to admit I have alot to learn and though I am a wildflower and may be consider a weed to some I find I am growing every visit and that when I bloom I might sprout some lovely little flowers. But we shall see.
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Re: Watering the Shmeng-Garden
by MystryssRavynDarque (MystryssRavynHI@wmconnect.com)
on Aug 04, 2004 - 10:39 AM
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You've got me right down to it Schiz. Thanks so much for your kind words and understanding. I would love to talk to you sometime. I know we never have, and that is very sad. All of my contact info is in my profile. *squishes* You kick ass!
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You forgot one:
by Shade (Shade@Gothcult.com)
on Aug 04, 2004 - 12:57 PM
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Schizo: Your unhesitating devotion to your own path has been an inspiration to us all. Your sense of self has grown from the very scared young woman we knew way back when to the confident adult that graces us all today. Your attention to the details of life brings with it insight that we could all use more of; and your caring nature makes it safe to be near you if even in the digital sense. You have opened all our eyes to the realities of personal faith in ways that not even Betty or Arth could have, and you have proven that age old adage, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
To you I say thank you.
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Gardening
by Monolycus on Aug 05, 2004 - 12:45 AM
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Aw, Schiz... thanks. Kind words mean an awful lot to me. Even if they ARE polysyllabic. Incidentally, you are more right about me than you might guess. I am the hermit.
Incidentally, per your instructions to include those not mentioned (I couldn't add to those you already cited and improve in any way upon what you have already said), I'd like to drag my watering can over to (alphabetically, not necessarily in order of importance):
Domkitten= You've never let a little thing like sleep dep hold you back. I don't always agree with you, but I have always admired your tenacity. And, unlike others, I am in a position to know that you are one of the most charitable souls I have run across. Too bad it is locked inside a workaholic.
Ironboots~ Where've you been? I could always count on you to read (and even partially understand) some of my more long-winded rants and to come back with some perspective that hadn't even occured to me. Dust yourself off and reclaim your monarchy in the forums!
Kira: You have always had a twisted kind of insight that I have always admired. You not only get a bigger picture, but you are patient (and cute) enough to be able to point it up to others. You go!
pARIS> Even with your caps-lock problems, you've always got a joke held in reserve, and it's always one I wish I had thought of. Now, since I am the socially maladjusted one, you have no excuse for giving me more memory on this site than you have used up. Get a little noisier, y'hear?
Rogue; Seriously, you need a shout out, man. Your name has become nearly synonomous with lightning wit. If a person needs to be delicately told that they are being an idiot, you're the man for the job. If someone needs a post to be gently pushed in the right direction because nobody else quite got it, I have always counted on you. And if I am ever at a loss for pick-up lines, I need only listen to you for ten minutes while scribbling furiously in my notebook. You are far more adept, clever, beneficial and downright appreciated than you know, chingu. Now, stop getting in your own way!
~M.
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Re: Watering the Shmeng-Garden
by Merry_Widow on Aug 05, 2004 - 12:52 PM
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Schiz, you are that wonderful calm voice that reminded me in the beggining of my pregnancy that I could do it. Even though we only exchanged a couple of notes, your quiet encouragment stuck with me throughout. You're the voice of reason that has the most impeccable sense of timing. You always seem to hit the proverbial nail right on the head in your responses to people.
No one can hide from The Schizo!
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Re: Watering the Shmeng-Garden
by Rae (d.embraced@verizon.net)
on Aug 06, 2004 - 01:00 AM
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Schizo, I was completely surprised to see my name in the mix since I haven't "participated" for quite some time, but I am touched all the same that you remembered me. My sincerest thanks to you for that. You brought back a flood of memories of the many here that I hold dear to my heart.
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Re: Watering the Shmeng-Garden
by gothicmorman (litty_klj@hotmail.com)
on Aug 07, 2004 - 07:12 AM
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in a way it seems like you should also thank the trolls, idiots, and other general riff raff that were kicked off the site. if they had not been around to flame and torture then there would be far less chance for you and all the others to use your talents. also, of course, every purge helps shmeng grow and define itself as a community.
offhand: i do miss ickgirl... hope she returns...
the ruthless
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Re: Watering the Shmeng-Garden
by Domkitten (saradevil@saradevil.com)
on Aug 11, 2004 - 06:13 PM
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Schiz,
Leave it to you to take the time to put into words feelings that many have, an no one expresses.
You replaced the bad with the good, the tragic flaws with the saving graces and thank you for doing it. As long as you can continue to hang around after all that, I think Shmeng will be okay.
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