"The State of the Chat Room"

(Written 1/28/11 by ChristopherK2 for the Uglier Marylanders Blog)

I decided to NOT follow Obama's themes in writing this. So you'll see no list of Big Problems with suggested Big Solutions, but with no way to pay for them. I'll follow columnist Bob Greene's lead and write instead about the ordinary people (not mere "fonts") who more clearly represent the State of the Chat Room, and their stories.

It's easy to rant about this cult or that clique. I do so often enough. But each "side" in the room is comprised of only 10 or so people, and yet they get the bulk of the attention. We tend to forget that there are now about 150 roomies, and the other 125 or so simply don't give a crap about the general ugliness.

My best example is ImCeeg... Cheryl. Cheryl joined the room a year or so after I did, and I met her at Champions in September, 1997. She's a very hard-working surgical nurse, raised four kids, and took care of her mom as she aged then finally passed away late last year. We spent many a fun times together at Clark's and other AOL hangouts, and I visited her in the hospital after a surgery. Cheryl's not a part of any of the current groups in the room, and gets along well with everyone. She's a great lady, smart, and fun. She did, however, quit the room for a few years because of the ugliness, so I'm sure she still doesn't like it.

I may be overstating her as an example, but like most, Ceeg seems to come into the room for an hour or so here and there to pleasantly chat with her buds and whomever happens to be available. She's otherwise way too busy with "life."

And aren't most of us? The vast majority go to work every day, and many have a spouse and raise kids. Some, as Ceeg did, also have to deal with aging parents. Others go to school part-time to improve themselves, and so on. And ALL of that... all of "life" is far more important than *anything* hateful that's said in a chat room. I sometimes forget that, and get a bit carried away myself. But I've kept it in mind about other people, and I've been continually fascinated to read in the room about how people's lives progress.

So, a few examples...

Marriages, Childbirths, etc.

These mini-lists probably aren't complete, so feel free to add to them.

Weddings--The only marriage I noticed in 2010 was Alan and Perky's. Hooray for them! They win the award for Room's Happiest Couple!

Divorces--The only one I noticed in 2010 was... well... MINE. Not sure if that merits a Hooray! or a Boo!

Births--The only births I saw mentioned in 2010 were to Chelle, and Cindy's grandchild. Hooray for them! Perky suggested I include Ham's "grand dog," so okay.

Deaths--Alas, there were three deaths in the group in 2010. Two of them were former roomies. Dartman655 (Robert Needle) died 11/1/10 at age 49 from complications of diabetes. TAZ350mph (Jon Arntzen) died 11/28/10 at age 43 from a heart attack. And we also lost one then-current roomie. Rixroost (Richard Johns, Jr.) died 8/7/10, age unknown (but OLD) from cancer. The only one I had met, Taz/John, was a very nice guy and a delight to be around. All are missed...

Newbies--This has been a weakness of the room for the last couple of years largely because "some" people attack newbies shortly after they arrive. The only ones I know who stuck it out in 2010 are Eyore, Jnr, and Felony. Hooray for them!

Returnees--We've recently picked up a couple of returning old-timers, Mdphoto (was AKA BrakeF) and ImCeeg. I will include Mensa, just because I can, although she really returned in late 2009. Hooray for them, and Welcome Back! I'm not sure whether Crabb returned in 2010 or 2011, but she's clearly a "Boo for you, and please leave again... SOON."

Gone, or almost so--This is probably my most inaccurate and incomplete list. Maybe some are just in the room at different times than I am. I know that Chitty moved south (TN?) and is seldom around anymore. To her, I add the following: A11waysanangel, Alzippity, Billb31970, BOO9989, Bychlips3471, CallMeHope, Chyandqt2, Curvvettee, DundalkBadGirl, FROSTKING9, KATNIP631, KIRK CAPT, NakeyMan, Padur1212, Sassystillhere, Sylvar Firestorm, Toadsrock123, and TSUFugazi.

A quick look at those lists clearly shows that people leaving the room way outnumber the new arrivals. So, the number of active roomies continues to shrink rapidly. People rarely announce their reasons for leaving, although I obviously have a few thoughts on that.

Socialization

General room social functions have died off totally except for the occasional funeral. There are, however, many gatherings of Zeeke and his Zombies, including a camp out and a picnic-type one. So, a begrudging Hooray for them!

Not So Expensive Solutions

I really don't have any that I haven't expressed often enough before. Drama queens remain so until they're gone-. Let me just leave you with this quote, from Bill Clinton's State of the Union speech in 1995 after his party took a beating the year before:

"Our civil life is suffering in America today. Citizens are working together less and shouting at each other more. The common bonds of community which have been the great strength of our country from its very beginning are badly frayed."

That is very descriptive of our room's present. Its future, however, remains very uncertain as I write this. And that saddens me deeply...