I'm an Outspoken Beyotch. Deal with It.

It seems that my tendency to speak my mind has caused a few people on the social networks some well deserved and maybe not so well deserved distress. Like my husband's mama, outspoken is one of the things that defines me. So does bitch, as in Meredith Brooks' song 'Bitch'. All those adjective she sings about herself applies to me. It's a badge of honor carried proudly and honed through 50 plus years of livin'.

I don't pull punches, do not say things that people want to hear. I don't like confrontations, but will stand up for what I believe is right. Anyone who knows me knows that they will get the unvarnished truth from me. It might be painful, it might smell like shit, but it will be the truth. IMO, a true friend doesn't whitewash the shit, doesn't plump you up with puffy words that don't hold a bit of weight when it's not merited. I'll fight to the death for your right to be wrong. A true firend tells it like it is, even when it hurts. That's the way I live.

That doesn't mean I go deliberately lookin' for trouble, but when it rears its' ugly head, especially if someone I care about is bein' attacked in public, I'll jump in with both feet and both eyes wide open into the fray. I did that recently with the blog titled 'Not so Social Networking Redux'.

The party, who was and still remains nameless, apparently saw herself in the blog, and didn't like what she read. Tough shit, baby. What you did was wrong. I stand by that belief. Yes, you were defendin' your friend, but when ya took it off the social network where it originated and brought it to a different public forum, y'all crossed the line. By involvin' an innocent cast member of our favorite teevee show in the fray in a juvenile manner (to borrow someone else's description, usin' hangman spaces for fuck's sake? Jaysus!) with the post was even worse. It tainted the rest of the fanbase. It was unladylike behavior.

Said party did something very nice for me over the weekend, as one of my favorite actors from this program was in my hometown the same weekend of my winning trip. Yeah, it was a little disappointin' to miss the actor's appearance, but he is also gonna be just two hours north of me in two months. The party took it upon themselves to get both actors from the show to sign a poster for me, explainin' why the party was doin' so. The party posted a pic of the autographs on my FB page, for which I thanked said party profusely.

Durin' the weekend, I had little access to the internet. Only via the Iphone, and we pay for datea use overage. Ergo, it was necessary to limit said usage as much as possible. The twitter war over the fake show motorcycle cuts was drainin' enough (see the 'Party' blog, comin' soon, for more on that little episode). However, I did see the party's twitter post, and made a response to it. The 140 character response was simple and direct. It's on my @Lowecat twitter account for any who want to read it from 14 Nov.

Though I follow the party, I did not see the second volley in the twitter fray fired off to the creator and EP of the show that named the party that had betrayed the friend. Not until I received a diatribe in FB mail blastin' me for statin' my mind and remindin' me of the beautiful gesture that didn't have to be made. So, I went huntin' and found the tweet to the EP. My heart sank.

One of the things said to me in the diatribe mentioned that the party has heard others refer to me as the self appointed SOA/Twitter police. When it comes to fake SOA cuts, damn right I'll speak out, and I did, and will continue to do so. That's a whole 'nother blog of its' own (see the one for Hallowe'en, 'Just Don't Do It') and has already been written. That's the only so called policin' I do where SOA is concerned, other than bootleg DVDs.

Fact is, I challenge anyone to prove otherwise. If you can, I'll have the balls to admit bein' wrong.

Whether I get the signed item or not at this point remains to be seen. The party received a response via FB mail. It was very intent, probably defensive, and in two parts. I've yet to go to FB to see what's waitin' for me. Since my email didn't have a message notice, it may be lyin' in wait like a hooded cobra ready to strike. At least I saved the pic posted on my wall on my hard drive, and will have that.

The diatribe then led me to the party's friend's wall. That person is on my FB friend list. I challenged a comment she made on that wall about the whole matter. My challenge was very similar to another poster's view. That challenge lead to late night/early mornin' frank and intense dialouge between two adults who behaved lke adults, admitting to and apologizin' to each other for wrongly stated comments and comin' to an agreement.

If you are a friend of mine on FB, don't bother lookin' for the comment thread. The wall owner has deleted it as a sign of good faith. The apology the party made was copied to me in email from FB, and is saved as somethin' to treasure. The original party also expressed to me her shock and dispair over the mutual friend's post to the actor and the show creator on Twitter.

I mention this ONLY to show that this is what should have happened in this first place! Grown adults actin' like adults and speakin' to each other directly (or as directly as possible as social neworkin' allows) instead of cryin' "foul" in public and havin' their friends circle the wagons to sling more shit than any monkey house in any zoo can produce. Somewhere along the way, a war got started and grew and grew and grew as many wars tend to do.

I hope to Gawd that the grown adult activity/behavior can continue, and that peace can be restored between all four mutual FB friends. It's gonna be difficult, as some bridges have been burned. The party whose misguided Twitter posting brought me into this wrote some very hurtful things to me, besides the police comment. As that person discovered, I can - and will - go back over my own writings to prove something right or wrong.

Forgiveness may be easy to give. Forgettin' may be harder. Trust can be given, and easily bruised. Once injured, trust can be very difficult to rebuild. I think it's possible, but it's gonna take time between two willin' adults to take the time and the effort to do what needs to be done in the rebuildin' process.

End of line.