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Articles: The Story of the Mother Confessor |
Posted by
Schizo on Saturday, April 17, 2004 - 05:05 AM PST
Let me tell you a story...
Once upon a time, long, long, ago, I, yes I, Schizo, Mother Confessor, was once a newbie. A dismal little wide-eyed, wet-behind-the-ears, nervous little newbie. This was back in the days when Shmeng was bran-spankin-new, and most people stuck to the older Gothic Enlightenment (like Bettie X, who was one of the last to succumb!)
I wandered through the dark halls, I took the goth test, I read the words and I looked at the pictures, every single one of them. I made a couple posts, but mostly I stayed fairly quiet. I got to know these people before they got to know me.
Then, there came a troll. A big, bad, nasty troll. Even worse, a religious troll, who thought it was his duty to bring these evil, suicidal goths out of their misery and into the light of God. And it pissed me off. Because he never bothered to find out if these people were evil or suicidal in the first place. He just saw the colors and the make-up and jumped to a million conclusions, just like any know-it-all fanatic. I saw red.
Well, I raked that bastard up one side and down the other. I was raised to be a super-christian, and I knew that man's Book better than he did. I turned his attention to myself, and told him just what I thought of someone who judges someone else without getting to know them first. I told him a lot of things he didn't want to hear. And finally he left.
This is how I gained the attentions of the powers that be. Who was it back then, anyway? Devin, Ickgirl, Vampcourt, Callei, Bettie, I know I'm missing some people. I gained their attention and their approval. Even though I was a Christian, and didn't hide the fact, even though several of them have gone through horrors at the hands of those who called themselves Christians. I became their exception to the rule, their example of what a Christian should be.
Shortly thereafter, the cult of Devin was born, and I received my title and duties. Why? Because I took the time to educate myself on the ways of the site before trying to get attention, and because I gained attention by doing something exceptional, intelligent, and cool. I projected my persona in a way that benefitted the existing members of the website. And I also showed myself willing to learn.
I've had my trials by fire, too. Anyone who doesn't think so can read "A Resident Christian's Personal Rant". But those trials were gained by a daring and thought-out presentation of an unpopular stance. You agreed with it, or you didn't, but you definitly thought about it.
I've mellowed out since then, and no longer even claim the title of Christian, although it still seems to cling to me. But I've survived years, and tumult, and months without computers, and personal upheavals, and I'm still around and kicking, and submitting articles when I have the time.
Why are the great ones great? How do the personalities separate themselves from the newbies? It is not through numbers of posts, or through amount of time spent on Shmeng. It is through developing a personality that attracts others, stimulating people's minds, adding beauty and intelligence to the website, helping others grow, learning from other people, and above all, having something interesting about you that stands out from the crowd. It helps to be a brilliant photographer, to write amazing fiction, to have the gift of the eloquent flame, or some other such talent, or you may just have some quirk to your personality that makes you stand out among the crowd.
There have been people here who have shed the newbie name since day one. There have also been people who have been around forever, and who are still essentially newbies.
And that is my story - and advice.
And they all lived shmengily ever after.
The end.
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Note: Every once in a while something is posted elsewhere on the site that is good enough for us to snatch it and make it an article. (Sometimes without even telling the author) |
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Average Rating : 5.0
Total ratings : 5
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The Story of the Mother Confessor | Login/Create an account | 21 Comments |
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Re: The Story of the Mother Confessor
by Schizo (Aranea@spidersdance.com)
on Apr 17, 2004 - 07:56 AM
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Wow. I feel honored to be an unwitting author. Cool.
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Re: The Story of the Mother Confessor
by Squire-of-Gothos (Brian0049@hotmail.com)
on Apr 17, 2004 - 08:46 AM
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http://
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I have a question schizo; do you write while listening to music? I do, and I pick things that will put me in the mood and flow of what I want to write. Adn as I sit here, reading this eceptional article, I listen to Radiohead's "Blame it on the black star". I doubt you were hearing these same beautiful lyrics and progressions when you wrote this, but it sure as hell mates up with it perfectly. Beautiful work (I rarely use beautiful, usually it's 'great').
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Re: The Story of the Mother Confessor by Schizo (Aranea@spidersdance.com) on Apr 17, 2004 - 02:17 PM (User info | Send a Message) | To be perfectly honest, I usually just type things off inbetween running after the kindergoth, or in the morning before I have coffee. I rarely do any editing beyond a quick read-over for typos. I'm really overwhelmed by the response this piece has recieved - wow. |
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Re: The Story of the Mother Confessor
by IamSquid (undisclosed)
on Apr 17, 2004 - 09:15 AM
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http://www.goodandevilgoround.com
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See, this is why Schizo has been deified.
For all yoo out there who are genuinely interested in joining our Shmengy little group (and I don't mean start an account on the site) this is the first thing yoo should read when yoo sign up.
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Re: The Story of the Mother Confessor
by MystryssRavynDarque (MystryssRavynHI@wmconnect.com)
on Apr 17, 2004 - 09:54 AM
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http://kauai.vibechild.com/~amanda/
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This is a really amazing article. I remember reading it in the forums and thinkning about how well written this is and how it should be an article.
I don't think I ever really questioned being a newbi until this whole forum popped up and everyone started trying to explain what defined a newbi and how one was no longer a newbi, but I think you hit it on the head with your explanation and story. I really don't care if I am still a newbi and I really don't care if I always am. I don't care if I ever become a deity (trust me, there are people more worthy) or achieve a title like yours (again, there are more deserving people), I am just happy to be a part of such a wonderful family. I am thinking I am going to be around a long time, and so I hope our family stays happy and I hope we are always strong enough to kick out the icky trolls.
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Re: The Story of the Mother Confessor by Schizo (Aranea@spidersdance.com) on Apr 17, 2004 - 02:21 PM (User info | Send a Message) | MRD, you were one of the ones I was thinking of when I mentioned those who seemed to almost skip the newbie stage entirely. Like you've said, you're part of the family. I guess some people are born that way, some grow to become that way, and some are just not that way and never will be. |
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Re: The Story of the Mother Confessor
by Jesi on Apr 17, 2004 - 02:39 PM
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I, too, first read this in the forums. I thought it was an excellent story...one that every newbie should read.
I hadn't really asked myself "am I still a newbie?" until the question was posted in the forums. I felt right at home from day 1, and even though many didn't know me and still don't know me, I know that I have yet to "prove" myself and go through that famous 'baptism by fire'.
I am only glad that I had the chance to read this...as it is very much worth reading to anyone who is new here, as is all the advice everyone generously listed in the forums. Thanks to everyone for sharing their little pieces of wisdom over there.
And thank you for taking the time to write this.
Jesi
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Re: The Story of the Mother Confessor by Meranda_Jade (Meranda@mymind.com) on Apr 17, 2004 - 07:56 PM (User info | Send a Message) | Nope, sorry, you can't. You got everyone's attention a long time ago... |
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Re: The Story of the Mother Confessor
by Dolorosa (SixOfSwords@IU.zzn.com)
on Apr 19, 2004 - 01:13 AM
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Yeah! This was boss-awesome the first time I read it...and it's about time Schizo landed on the main page again. Theres a reason everyone likes you Schizo...your the gothmommabomb. Even if you aren't goth...which I can't remember if you are or not, but I'm going to say yes just for color...
Props and yahoos!
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Re: The Story of the Mother Confessor by Schizo (Aranea@spidersdance.com) on Apr 19, 2004 - 02:08 AM (User info | Send a Message) | Woohoo! Dolo-compliments! My morning is made!
When it comes to dress, I'm goth when I feel like it. I can also be grunge, or hippie, or punk, or whatever. But if liking black and spiders and Tim Burton flims makes me goth inside, then I most definitely am!
To go any deeper would be to WIG out, and who wants to do that?
I'm the gothmommabomb, I'll leave it at that!
*sigh* I just love Dolo-compliments... |
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Re: The Story of the Mother Confessor by Dolorosa (SixOfSwords@IU.zzn.com) on Apr 19, 2004 - 07:53 AM (User info | Send a Message) | Yay! Ah you earn 'em without a doubt, thats what I love about ya' Schizo, your the type of person that has me constantly thinking up new freidnly things to say...like Terrociously Cool-assed Soupastar.
I holla! |
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Re: The Story of the Mother Confessor
by Arthegarn on Apr 19, 2004 - 04:03 AM
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http://http://
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Actually, we all know it was you that attracted me to Shmeng... You and that post of yours.
I can't remember when it was the first time I stopped feeling a newbie. Perhaps when Devin asked for data for the Titles and Duties section. Until then, every time Callei or Bettie slaughtered the "you-know-who-you-are", I thought it meant me.
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Re: The Story of the Mother Confessor by callei on Apr 19, 2004 - 08:42 AM (User info | Send a Message) http://http:// | its a Cathloic thing, that sense of not being worthy. and for all you confused kids out there, there is a HUGE difference between being not worthy and being humble. |
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Re: The Story of the Mother Confessor by Arthegarn on Apr 20, 2004 - 06:21 AM (User info | Send a Message) http://http:// | Yep. Agreed. I have a tendency to blame myself for everything. Perhaps I should post a news article about this but I'll give an example.
Last thursday I was driving back home after having dinner with three friends of mine. It was past midnight. Suddendly, after climbing out of a tunnel, in an access to a motorway, I see this car without lights right in front of me. I star saying "What's that jerk doing there with no lights?" when I realize the jerk is stopped. I change my sentence, step on my brakes and try to get to the lift side of the road but there is a car overtaking me so I have to wait a precious tenth of a second. When I can turn, I can't avoid the collision completely.
Well, I got out of the car (everyone was OK) and I go to the jerk and start apolgyizing. In my mind all I could see was that I had hit him from behind and I should have been able to stop my car in time. I completely forgot the jerk was stopped in a motorway without any lights, at midnight. Furthermore, some hours later I am told by one of my friends, who went to the hospital with the jerk and a beautiful black girl who was with him, that the girl was a hooker and that she was blowjobbing him, and that he stopped the car becasue he was just about to... to finish.
Well I'm most angry now. At the stupid, incredibly imbecile jerk who stopped with no lights in a motorway because he was being eaten, and who has happened to be the CEO of a Spanish Project Management company with a turnout of some 700 million US $ (I thought I remembered the name so I ran it through the internet) who likes 25 $ hookers (We were clos to the Casa de Campo, madrid's Hollywood Boulevard). And most of it, at myself, because at the tima all i could do was apologyze when I should have yelled at him. I didn't even ask the police to make him an alcohol test, damnit!
So here am I. No car, and 5 hours a day of public transport to get to my three jobs in three different points of Madrid, some 80 miles apart each, because this incredibly irresponsible guy decided it would be fun to have someone sucking him while driving his brand-new corporate Jaguar!
Damn. And all I could do was apologyze!!!
Yeah, it's that Catholic thing. I agree
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