The Internet Isn't All Pedophiles and Greed.
I don't really know what incident was the tipping point, but for months now, I've been lacking my mojo. Between drama and stolen photos and posts reprinted without permission and online arguments and drama, drama, and more drama, I've found the negative things that breathe heavy on the internet to be all-encompassing. It has been like living in a beautiful, serene neighborhood and then realizing that a sex offender has moved in next door. At first you're a little leery, but when he is caught violating parole terms, it changes to straight out fear. Then when you find him in your basement talking to your child, everything that was once beautiful and serene is now a nightmare. Your feelings may be completely unfounded and it all may be completely innocent, but you can't help but hate it all.
And that's where I've been--hating it all.
I have made a concerted effort to block out all of the drama. I have unfollowed people on twitter any time they bring up drama that, in my opinion, should have been handled privately. I have unsubscribed from blogs that spend entirely too much time worrying about what other people are doing. I have ignored emails from anyone who was just looking to drum up a little extra misery in their already drama-filled life. I wish I could say that all amounted to a few people here and there, but really, there has just been so much of it the past several months.
I was ready to quit. I don't like negativity and drama and when I feel it starting to pull me down, my instinct is to run.
But, for reasons unknown, I didn't.
And then you guys . . . yes YOU . . . swooped in and restored my faith.
For as much negative as the internet has, it has more good. You've proven that again. I'm still waiting for one significant donation to be finalized, but right now, there's $7000 in the Christmas Crazy bucket.
$7000.
A huge thank you to all of you who have tweeted or blogged about Christmas Crazy. A huge thank you to all of you who donated, whether it was $3 or $100. A REALLY huge thank you to ScareHouse for contributing $3150, and to all of you who helped to make Crazy Scary a success. Just . . . thank you.
Tomorrow is the big day when I'll be meeting some elves to finish off the portion of Christmas Crazy that will benefit Toys for Tots. It's going to be a fantastic day of fun that will fully prove just how amazing and wonderful and good the internet can be.
Thank you.
Christmas Crazy
Reader Comments (22)
It makes my heart smile that Christmas Crazy did so well. And just in case no one has said it yet (and honestly even if they have) thank YOU for doing all the work, dealing with the bullshit, organizing, finalizing and pulling the whole thing off. The easy part is clicking a link and donating some money ~ the hard part is making that money into awesome Christmases for families that need the help...and for THAT you rock.
That being said I couldnt agree more with the 1st part of your post. There seems to be a whole hell of a lot of memememe drama mongering and negativity floating around of late and its tiresome. I know it will never stop completely, but it would sure be nice to get a break from it all. Honestly - most of us dont have it all that bad at all. Count your blessings and be thankful for what you do have. But I, like you, have choosen to run from it as much as I can. I think thats all you really can do...well that or get sucked into it and that just sounds like the 10th circle of Hell to me :-)
Thanks Michelle - what youve done and are doing is a definite bright spot of EPIC HAPPY & GIVING. Thank you!
That totally blows me away - well done Internet. And really, a truly big thank you and cheers to YOU for dealing with the other stuff so that you can bring on the good stuff. Putting out your dose of sunshine into the internet matters - it makes some of that other noise slip away.
Merry Giving - I hope it's just the right amount of Crazy!
What an awesome amount for Christmas Crazy! Congratulations, and THANK YOU for all you did, do, and have yet to complete, to make this possible. As said above, that's the hard part. Regardless of how many or few comments you get in any form to express this, know that all you do for this is greatly appreciated by many. Many more than will actually step out to say thank you, so be sure to multiply the thank you's that you hear by a hundred!
THANK YOU!
No, thank YOU for being something good and awesome and selfless on the internet. You are making a difference in the lives of so many children. You, my friend, rock.
Yeah yeah yeah, can't wait to see the posts with all toys.
I agree with everyone above.
You thought up and built the machine. We're just the grease, which as you may know, is the word, is the word.
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
oh michelle, thank you for all that you do to make christmas special for so many kids. i'm thrilled to be able to participate monetarily, although i wish it were more.
seven grand. SEVEN! well done, lady. well done!
You (and maybe a few others) are what actually give the blogosphere a GOOD name. The drama here is the good kind: $7,000! Holy guacamole! You.are.aweseome!
Your vision of the Internet is sophomoric, at best. It is - and always has been - a vast repository for people to share information anonymously, and everything that comes from that comes naturally. You seem to act as if sexual deviancy or copyright infringement is some shady underbelly in what is otherwise entirely sunshine and fairy farts.
Please spare us the whiny, affected 'Oh, the Internet used to be all happiness and sunshine until people started to use it for porn.' Don't share anything on the Web - including pictures of the people you care about - unless you realize that you're basically putting stuff in a medium that it can never again be removed from. You have so little control over what happens to the content you produce because consumption is always done through a shadowy veil.
The Internet is almost entirely a dark, hilarious and depressing place - it's not contained within the limits of your blogroll. Please accept the good with the bad and stop whining about it.
I think SOMEONE needs to put the Nietzsche down.
I think someone needs a bit of a smack upside the head.
You ROCK michelle and those kiddos will have an awesome Christmas because of all of your hard work. Forget the idiots who criticize. They're just jealous of your amazingness! Keep up the stellar work!!!
Sing it with me ... "which one of these things don't belong with the others?"
While I didn't contribute much, it's so heart-warming to know that the internet pulled together to make Christmas Crazy so awesome this year. Thanks for all of your hard work in making it happen!
beh,
where did she say that the internet was sunshine and happiness until people started to use it for porn? sounds like you aren't getting enough attention and dislike when some of us are patting michelle on the back for a job well done. put on your big girl panties, grow the hell up and do some good yourself (even if it is just smiling and leaving a positive comment on a post where the author does a wonderful thing and helps brighten christmas morning for a lot of kids).
Um, wow. Anywho......
I stand in awe of your ability to bring so many people together to help so many kids (and their parents) have a good Christmas morning. You're amazing! Good job to everyone involved!
I am pretty sure between Crazy Scary and Christmas Crazy, you are hereby crowned Queen of Crazy. :) Seriously - you and your elvish minions are the epicenter of Good in the insane Internet world. Don't you dare run on us - we need you too much.
Now someone at least go buy this woman a Pumpkin Spice Latte - it's the least she deserves!
Seriously? Wow. That is great news to read! Congratulations to you and to all that donated. That's going to go a long way to many deserving families. Thanks for the update - I can't wait to hear what the total is after the significant donation is calculated!
"You seem to act as if sexual deviancy or copyright infringement is some shady underbelly in what is otherwise entirely sunshine and fairy farts."
Beh,
So are you implying that the sunshine and fairy farts are the "shady underbelly" and the sexual deviancy and copyright infringement are the norm? and this is ok with you?
Or are you implying that there is no good on the internet, and it is all sexual deviancy and copyright infringement?
Either way, i don't want to go to your internet. the one i go to definitely has a "shady underbelly", as you put it, that is mostly avoidable. Even the best optimist with half a brain still knows it is there and that it can and will steal your posts, your pictures, and creep you out by sending you naked pictures. But, if you think the most base parts of the internet ruin and defile everything else, I feel bad for you. the point here (i believe)is the GOOD that is being done.
If giving presents to children in need isn't enough "sunshine and fairy farts" for you, may i suggest the following links:
Cool People Care
Haiti Orphan Rescue
EveryMinute.org
Free the Slaves
a special youtube video
..ive never even heard a fairy fart before. i bet it's awesome...
in efforts to restore hope, I just dropped (a very small) amount into the Christmas Crazy bucket.
Hope I'm not too late, my friend. Don't quit us yet, we luv ya!
~emily
I'm so glad Christmas Crazy is outshining the things that have been bringing you down! Sometimes even the best insulated of us get dragged down with the muckity muck. My favorite cliche for times like those: "This too shall pass." You really deserve all the happiness and light you can squeeze out of the Event that Christmas Crazy is. Congratulations on a great year and enjoy the big finale tomorrow! I can't wait to see the pics!
totally awesome (donations) - and I must live in a bubble or something - I never hear anything! I'm guessing this is good! Or perhaps maybe this is why I am so reserved and don't make friends easily - keeping them all at arm's length so I don't get into any drama???? not sure? If you ever get weary again - ju7st hope into the Tiaras Bubble!
that was supposed to read "Just HOPE into the Tiaras Bubble" jeeezz!
You? Are just awesome. Seriously. And one of my biggest blogging inspirations and motivators. And I think I just wanted to share that with you.