Ain't That A Bitch

My Aunt said something funny to me once that I may not have completely mastered yet. She said,

It's good that you're open minded. Just don't be so open your brain falls out.

The truth is, it's been a recurring theme in derby for me. Like in life, you're constantly finding that people you trust without question often either abuse, or didn't deserve it.

And finding that people you fight and question all the time, are often the ones you should have been cooler to.

It's tricky. I don't have all the answers. But I have seen a lot of this. Everything from trusted, predatory refs to ousted league Founders who went into debt creating their leagues.

One person I was loyal-to-a-fault to was my original coach. I'm gonna leave his real name out and just call him "Buddy."

And it's hard to say that it was wrong to trust him. At first anyways.
I think what may have happened with Buddy was that he started in a good place.

But then, drinking the lots-of-women-do-what-I-say-all-the-time cool-aide over time just made him drunk with power.

I know for me, I was just so grateful to the guy for teaching me how to skate, it was hard to hear anything bad about it him.

So when I'd hear people saying anything lame about Buddy, I would either defend him, or just walk away.

Actually, I stand by that. Looking back, even after the way things went down, I still feel that was the right thing to do. It's not right to end a friendship until it's right to end it. Know what I mean?

Can I impress upon your open mind a philosophy that is wise?

Bad Barney!

Why am I such a child?? I can't seem to resist a bad Barney picture.

Anyways, I've had to see the "I told you so" face from people so many times.

But... I just don't wanna live in a world where you take one person's word for it and shut someone else out.

You could have something to learn from that person. Or them from you. Even if the relationship does go bad at some point.

Which it did! I'll tell you the whole story next time. This already feels like a lot of words...

You have yourself an inspiringly rad day today!

Here's my parting gifts!