Some, not all, leaves nothing

The game is over now and I am confused as to why everyone continues to speak about it. It was a good game, a close game, a tough game, and I enjoyed every moment of it, but my life has moved past it, resumed the search for more immersion. The players on the field performed brilliantly and for a moment there, I was envious of their ability and acclaim, but they were players and my eyes the stage. The show is over now; the strength of the players has not made those around me appear weaker.

I put the book down some time ago now and I am confused as to why everyone continues to speak about it. It was a great book, a captivating read, a satisfying climax, and I enjoyed every page of it, but my life has moved past it, acknowledged the characters as fictional and resumed the search for more immersion. The characters were brave and honourable and for a moment there, I would have liked to walk their world beside them, but they were actors and my imagination the set. The show is over now; the courage of the actors has not tinged those around me with cowardice.

The movie’s credits have ceased rolling now and I am confused as to why everyone continues to speak about it. It was an amazing film, an end-to-end thriller with believable drama and over the top action, and I enjoyed every frame of it, but my life has moved past it, praised the director for the stunning execution and resumed the search for more immersion. The plot was gripping, the people gorgeous, and for a moment there, I cared for it all like my own homeland and family, but the landscape was drawn in a screenplay and the lines were all scripted. The show is over now; the absence of studio lighting has not made my garden less vibrant or my friends less beautiful.

Our fingers have stopped typing, our pens idle now, and I am confused as to why everyone continues to speak about it. I wrote myself though good times, rhymed myself through hard times and I enjoyed every letter of it, but my life has moved past it, appended the last period and resumed the search for more immersion. The flow was cathartic, the imagery encapsulating, and for a moment there, I was surrounded by the colours I invented, but the hues were all projections, fantastical or embellished from memory. The show is over now; the world is still visible without my pencilled outlines.

Our lips have stopped meeting now and I am confused as to why you no longer speak about it. We embraced for minutes that lasted ours, shared passionate hours that passed in minutes, and I have enjoyed every breath and shiver of it, but your life has moved past it, wiped the sweat of desire from its brow and resumed the search for more immersion. Our exertion weakened beside the players in the game,  our romance tawdry beside the couple in the novel, our appearance washed out beside the make-up in the feature, and our love lacking beside notes scribbled in your margins. This show is not over and yet it is the topic of least discussion; experienced, accepted, noted and left to fade in the light pulsing from momentary acts in ethereal plays.

While the show goes on I live every line. Our show goes on but my monologue is lost amid murmurs of scenes long past.

Happiness is harder

It is harder to write when your hands are cupping happiness and, far outside the shining barrier of your unconscious smile, negativity is a thing happening to other people. But harder is not a bad thing, harder is not a reason to shake a fist at the challenge and force contentment to escape through tight gaps in clenched fingers. Harder builds the muscles in your forearms, strengthens the tendons in your wrists, supports you from behind and allows you to carry the weight of the comfort in clenched teeth while using fingertips to jot down lines that do not come easily. Ideas do not disappear when elation flashes colour into the world, words simply camouflage themselves so that you must work to find them, so that when found and arranged, the idea they describe comes with accomplishment that glows in unison with the vibrancy you hold between grinning lips. If you find yourself surrounded by satisfaction, do not burst that bubble by lamenting a loss of muse, by cloaking yourself in pity so that words replace the ecstasy you held in your hands. Relish the challenge of chasing what used to be delivered to you and increase your fitness by carrying happiness and inspiration at the same time. It is harder but harder is not a bad thing.

How Tumblr changed a life

Come, take my hand. No, really, take it. Come on! Why be so weird about it? Okay, fine. Stay close though because we’re going on a journey and I’ve got a stiff neck so won’t be able to look around to see if you’re there. Sure you don’t want to take my hand? Well, okay then, just remember it’s here if you change your mind.

We’re taking a trip through time and cyberspace — mostly just time though because this tale involves an awful lot of it; both wasted and productive —  to see how a socially awkward Australian became a socially awkward Australian who also writes a bit. Steady your nerves and prepare yourself because this adventure will be filled with curiosity, apathy, bitterness, elation, contempt, adoration, despair and koalas.

Let’s begin by wandering backwards along the calendar path, past the three hundred and sixty-six days, around the sonnets and haiku, through the gardens of free verse, and into the gallery of procrastination. To the left you’ll see five hundred and fourteen original posts and if you take a moment to gaze off to the right, you will notice the five thousand, three hundred and fifty-three posts that have captured a heart. If you listen closely you might be able to hear a crowd’s worth of whispers and shuffling; that would be coming from the two and a half thousand people following us as we travel — don’t worry about them though, they’re some of the most wonderful people in the world.

We’re almost there now. Are you okay? You’re wheezing a little bit. Sure, we can stop here for a breather. You’ve actually picked a pretty good place to pause because we’re right in front of post number one, the one that started it all. It’s nothing special really but if you’re observant — I know you’re observant — you’ll see that the words from this post actually appear about ninety days from here as the lyrics of a catchy tune. Granted, it’s an acquired taste, that sound, but I love it.

Alright, that’s enough resting, let’s keep going. You ready to take my hand now— no? Okay. As we’ve passed the first post you’ll have noticed that we’re wandering through a whole lot of emptiness now. The reason for this is because even though everything was started by the first post, this path was created several months before those words came into existence. Don’t worry though, we’re not going all the way back to that point because there’s nothing to see there—

Look! There he is now. He’s why I dragged you along here. A quiet Australian guy, he created this path a long time ago so he could reserve a specific username on what he thought would become a very popular place for online wanderers to tread.  

Right now he’s in a bit of a limbo stage. Not long ago his girlfriend dumped him and his serene period of coasting through life was brought to an end. During and after the break-up he had a lot of things to say but didn’t actually want to say them to anybody because, well, he knew people generally don’t like having to deal with heartbroken sappiness. He’s got a few things written down, a few drafts saved, a few notes hidden from public view on Facebook. Then one day, he wrote something that although still sad and whiny, wasn’t completely bad. He put that piece in a Facebook Note and was surprised. Very surprised. People liked it.

He continued doing this for a while and started to think that maybe his friends weren’t lying, started to think that he would be interested to see what other people — those he hadn’t met yet — thought of these poems he was spinning out. And that’s where we are now. He’s just about to post that first piece because he remembered that a long time ago, he had reserved a username on a social blogging website called, Tumblr. You see? You see why I brought you along now? It’s because we’re following the path of how Tumblr became such an important part of this Australian guy’s life. Take my hand now? Oh, okay.

Look, he’s about to post that first piece now. Watch what happens, this is great.

…

Nothing! Nothing happens. I know, right? Absolute crickets. The look on his face is priceless, like a mix between complete disillusionment and curiosity at what he did wrong. He just leaves it there though as he assumes people will eventually discover it — hint: nobody does. After a few more of these silent posts, he stumbles upon a place — he’s already in the place but he finds a place inside the place — where he finds other people just like him, people hoping to see how their writing affects others. Look, there he is introducing himself to the first friends he’ll make on Tumblr. He’s so cute and new to this. Oh, okay, he’s new to this then.

Look what happens when he posts now. People are starting to like it. Hell, some people are even reblogging it to show other people. Let’s get in close for a moment. Okay, take a look into his eyes. See that dull throbbing light and the slightly glassy sheen? Yeah, that’s the addiction beginning. He’s found friends, he’s found readers and he’s found things to read. He’s settling in for the long haul. He’s so fun to watch at the moment, he’s talking with people, making fun of them through replies. There’s even an entire month of cicada talk because he was so glad to find someone else who understands the ferocity of the noise they make.

We’ll skip forward a month or so now. He continues posting and finding new friends, readers and things to read. People are complimenting his rhyming word-play and he’s got some ideas about things he wants to achieve. That addiction is still showing and he’s looking a little surprised out how things have panned out, he never thought he would actually start calling himself a writer. Watch him now, see him scratching his head and wondering why a lot of new people have started following him? He was featured. He’s aware of what a feature is but not really expecting to get one so soon. He continues posting; at least once a day, even while working sometimes.

Come on, you can go back and read all his old pieces later, we have to skip to a rather important moment now. See that? Isn’t it pretty? No? Not really your style, makes it too hard to read? Oh, fair enough that. What you’re looking at is something that he discovered he could do, he could shape his poems into representations of the poem’s subject. He doesn’t know it at the moment, but this form of poetry will earn him quite a few fans — and many detractors too — and see him approached by many people asking if he has ever thought of putting together a book. He laughed it off at first. …

Come on! Why are you so slow? Take my hand— still no? Here he is announcing that he has self-published a book. It goes on to sell hundreds of pages and become the best selling, self-published book in his immediate family. You can probably see the confusion in his eyes now — the addiction is still there too —and that’s because he’s not sick of it yet. If we had followed this path back a few more years we would have seen that he was great at starting things and then losing interest. This particular interest just keeps making him come back to the wonderful place that started it all, Tumblr.

We’ll slow down a little now and watch as he starts experimenting with his concrete poetry and begins writing more prosaic work, investing more and more time into the writing. Even though he’s posting less frequently now, the addiction for reading is still there, look, he spends as much time on Tumblr as ever.

D’aww, here he is meeting a lovely girl and shooting the shit with a snarky bitch, you can tell he’s constantly amazed at how close he has grown to the people he’s found on Tumblr — he used to believe online entities couldn’t really illicit real-world feelings — and the addiction still burns.

And here we are back at the beginning, or the present, but definitely not the end. I know we’ve rushed through but I would have taken longer if you had decided to hold my hand. Still no? Okay.

Where did he go, you ask? Hi, my name’s Luke — or Rakuli —, nice to meet you. Thank you for letting me show you how Tumblr changed my life and transformed me from an awkward Australian into an awkward Australian that writes a bit.

My advice on giving advice

Advice (noun)

1. Guidance or recommendations concerning prudent future action, typically given by someone regarded as knowledgeable or authoritative.
2. Information; news.

What a wonderful word, what a wonderful concept. Information shared and distributed with no implicit or explicit requirements for acceptance; guidance offered in the hope it will useful but not under the pretense that it will be taken; recommendations, outlines, things to try; not mandatory, not ruling, not commanding.

Why then, does advice so often start a fight? Not an argument, not a debate, a fight — sometimes even a war. Why should insight — shared voluntarily or at request — bring with it such division and animosity?

I cannot say with certainty — my opinion has been developed from observational evidence only — but I believe most controversy is sparked either by incorrectly delivered or incorrectly labelled advice; advice delivered in a manner that makes it seem a declaration of rules, laws or commandments -or- rules, laws and commandments incorrectly labelled as advice.

I am a very non-confrontational person — this is not saying that I simply back down or let the world walk over me; I support my opinions strongly — and as a result I have come up with ways of delivering guidance that rarely, if ever, lead to conflict. Now, thanks to the wonder of free speech and internet, I would like to offer some of my advice for giving advice.

1. Delivering advice is tricky and, even if you would carry your recommendations to the grave with you, some people will not accept it and sometimes flat-out disagree. Remembering the difference between a healthy debate and a heated argument is important. If your advice is not accepted, there is no harm in rephrasing and offering it again — this will let you know if the rejection was from lack of comprehension — but it is a good idea to avoid simply declaring somebody wrong because they disagree. You can try adding weight with additional arguments, but if you find that you cannot accept their refusal to accept, perhaps “advice” was not the best way to label your information.
2. Limiting the use of forcing words and phrases (example: should, must, have to) is a great way to keep people at ease. If your advice is peppered with commanding words and phrases, the line between piece of advice and this is an order/ultimatum can blur, leading to your advice recipient taking up a defensive position. If they believe their choices have been boiled down to the binary “My way or Your way,” a defensive person can go from being ninety percent confident in their stance to one hundred percent confident in their stance. To say the human mind is complex is to understate it completely. Some interesting information on the strange ways the brain works can be garnered by looking into concepts like Attitude Polarisation and Confirmation Bias.
3. When highlighting benefits through comparison, it is usually better to define the comparisons explicitly rather than lumping it all in a collective generalisation. As advice is often more subjective than objective, it is also recommended that the subjectivity of your statements be declared.
   
   To use a classic internet example:
   
   ”Oh, you would like to know whether to read Harry Potter or Twilight? Definitely go for Harry Potter because it has a better storyline and characters are more likeable.”
   
   Statements similar to that above, although seemingly innocent, have been the fuel for fighting on social networks and forums for years.
   
   ”Oh, you would like to know whether to read Harry Potter or Twilight? Personally, I have enjoyed the storyline and characters in Harry Potter more than I have those in Twilight. I would suggest Harry Potter.”
   
   The above will most certainly not stop all debate in its tracks, but it removes a lot of the potential for argument. The recommendation is given as a subjective suggestion right alongside a specific reason.
4. When defining rules, try to keep them as rules of the advice or rules stated subjectively, rather than blanket rules.
   
   Instead of:
   ”Never use contractions in formal writing.”
   
   Try:
   ”When I write formally, I make it a rule to not use contractions.”
5. Taking the time hear and respond to objections can help you strengthen your case. Refusing amicable discussion, or not providing a forum for it, can make even the best advice seem overbearing. There will be cases where your point needs to be heeded as a whole or not at all, but often, taking the time to discuss and compromise can see advice flowing in both directions and, even if both parties remain on their respective black and white sides, the resulting understanding can be invaluable.
6. Sometimes, you may just have to discontinue advising someone. You may think you are offering the best alternative and your frustration levels will rise because you feel the other party is worse-off because of it, but advice, whether it is to be given or received, cannot be forced onto someone if they do not wish to heed it. Sometimes it is their loss, even from an objective viewpoint, but as soon as advice starts being forced, it is no longer advice.

Using these strategies — or combinations of them; remember that almost everything has an exception — I have worked selling telephony products door-to-door, on the telephone as the complaints supervisor, for an airline as the person who deals with the “escalated” (read: irate and unhappy) customer situations, and I am currently in a position where I must advise my superiors regularly on technical points that they do not immediately understand. All of these positions require advising people to change something that they are/were doing, and in the overwhelming majority of cases, this advice has been well received even when it is not taken.

Sometimes, conflicts cannot be avoided, and sometimes, advice is misread regardless of how careful you are when offering it. But most times, advice is just advice, and when delivered in a guiding way, will not start a war.

(Source: blog.rakuli.com)

Birth of an idea

Wrapped softly in the curves and creases of my untended pillow, sleeping peacefully, humming softly, gently shining, there sits an idea. It floated in on tired winds while my feet shuffled me off to greet the day. It shimmers as it grows and images flicker across its contented form, telling the story of its inception, hinting at what it will become. It is my creation, the fruit of my imagination, and its safety is my everything. I tiptoe around the empty sheets, whispering while it becomes a pulsing form that begins to stir. Tended by moments of idle thought, the slumbering concept wakes when I lay my head down again to rest. Born from my imagination, the idea now returns, fully formed, to whence it came. 

The progression of emotion

How I dreamed it,how it should have been, how it was, how it is, how it will be. All markedly different options, and yet, all contain a shining thread of continuity that makes them more alike than the sum of their incongruities.

It started in the sun with a wink — eyes not meeting, hearts beating normally, no signals given — and as chance encounters became planned encounters became needed encounters became as natural as breathing, the dull heartstrings knotted and prepared to glow.

It continued with the value of a smile, the genuine warming pleasure delivered to me when actions or words triggered that light to play across your face. Notes slipped into your palm; secret messages in public places. Tunnel vision with figurative spotlights; only your face visible in an innumerable crowd. Words forming flowery sentences; unconsciously substituting you as my muse. I stumbled as I tried to walk away, dull heartstrings tangled lightly around my ankles.

It proceeded with a treasure hunt, time as the map and time with you as the prize. Days spent searching for the sun, hoping to happen upon the right set of circumstances to be gifted your presence. Messages in private, for your eyes only, asking to meet on frequented crossroads. Though rarely alone, I saw us secreted away together, invisible to the intruding eyes of unannounced visitors. When you gave me the key and let me into your room, I stared, I laughed, I marvelled; privileged to solitary sessions, your smiles just for me. I fell as I tried to walk away, dimly lighted heartstrings tying my knees firmly together.

It moved on from privilege to obsession to necessity to withdrawal when grey, empty space sat where your presence would normally shine. Watching an extinguished light hoping for data to flow across the world and switch it on. The surprise? You were always there, passing messages back, watching my light and desiring its illumination — convincing me that my obsession plus your obsession could be combined to make our passion. I could not consider walking away, glowing heartstrings had my arms tied at my sides.

It progressed in small steps and wondrous leaps until belief could not be suspended far enough to imagine any alternative. Alike in ways that matter, similar in thoughts that count, different enough to ensure freshness around every corner. The burning fire of lust and infatuation replaced by the omnipresent sunshine of something more real, more solid than the ethereal foundation our monument is built upon. And there it sat, pulsing in my periphery, occasionally blocking my vision, blinding me until removing it could only be achieved by speaking its name. As I could not see, the words left my mouth without knowing the depths in which they would echo. And echo they did, and echo they do, and echo they will because I am bound by these radiant heartstrings that are now tying me to you.

Not how I dreamed it, not how you dreamed it, but how it was, and now it is and will be. Truth, wrongly spoken, but truth. This is how it should have been.

Who are you? Vol 2

IT IS IMPORTANT — BUT NOT EXACTLY ESSENTIAL — THAT YOU READ OR REFRESH YOURSELF ON VOL 1 BEFORE READING THIS

The problem with stereotypes is that people keep fitting into them so nicely. Sure, most people don’t exhibit all characteristics of a stereotype but the traits they do show, usually override the ones they do not.

Tumblr, like any other place, now has a set of stereotypes.

The pigeon-holing continues now as we look at the next set of types that you might belong to.

Do any of them fit you?

Eternal Sad-sack (ES)

The eternal sad-sack is quite regularly mistaken for the LL by people recently acquainted with them. The reason for the mistaken identity is readily apparent; the ES will constantly be posting and talking about solemn, saddening topics and will do so with prolific regularity. But the ES differs from the LL in that an ES will not always be talking about lost loves, they will be talking about everything — and everything is sad.

The ES will never direct this sadness — in the form of bitterness — toward anybody and generally lays pretty low in terms of dashboard back-and-forths. It’s very hard to dislike an ES because it seems that no hatred cast at them could be worse than what has either been done to them or — if the person is fictional, suicidal, unstable, self-sabotaging — they are doing to themselves already. They will reblog happy things and immediately make them heart-wrenching with a few defeatist words, they will post short statements about how another seemingly-unruinable situation was ruined, and they generally give their readers a benchmark for comparing troubles.

The plight of an ES can sometimes make other readers ESs for a short time but an ES will form strong bonds with loyal readers and generally be considered a close friend by one or more people.

Eternal Sad-sack pros:

• Plenty of support available
• Poignant poetic/prose pieces generally well-appreciated

Clique Leader (CL)

Where the VEs — and occasionally the TLs — divide communities down the middle, the clique leaders are all about cordoning off a small section and setting up a fortress with oiled walls and arrow-slits every few metres. The size of each clique and the number of CLs each clique forms around varies but a CL and the entire group is easily recognised by many public references to in-jokes.

One does not simply walk into Tumblr and become a CL. No. In order to become a CL, someone must gain a degree of popularity and gradually begin to interact with only a select few people. The chosen participants become the clique and the CL gains control of a small strike force to battle any opposition, whether it be other CLs and their cliques, or just individual people they take issue with.

To the members of the clique, the CL is comparable to god — or Johnny Depp — and can do nothing wrong, to people on the outside, the CLs are often touted as pretentious or arrogant. CLs have been know to disband their entire clique for no apparent reason and start a new one;  this often leads to new CLs being created from the old, bitter members.

Clique Leader pros:

• Popular, to the point that you are looked at as a leader
• A clique with which to do your bidding
• Some in-jokes are funny to everyone

Always Poetic (AP)

It can sometimes be hard to spot an always poetic, as one in the Tumblr Writing Community would expect there to be poetry, and lots of it. Some people may claim to always write poetry — as opposed to always writing prose, for example — but the AP is always poetic, about everything.

Every thought, every action, every bowel movement in the most extreme cases, is captured in a piece of poetry. Works range from epics right down to six word sentences broken into a six word poems. An AP will have a post count that beggars belief and observers will often question the passage of time when a poem celebrating the 5000th post comes only a few days after a poem celebrating the 4000th.

APs will gain quite an avid following who cling to every word and phrase while the AP lives by the old adage, “Throw enough shit at a wall and some of it will stick.” Through the subjective nature of poetry, an AP will have a diverse following of people who enjoy at least a facet of the AP’s output, if not all of it.

Always Poetic pros:

• Prolific output leads to a wide and varied range of followers
• Often on crush-lists and, if pleasing the right editors, writing-tag top contributor lists

Conversationalist (CS)

Quite nice weather we’ve been having lately, isn’t it? And how are you, are you well? How’s the bunion coming along? A conversationalist loves them some conversation and will take it in any way shape or form they can get it. The CS is quite easy to recognise and there is every chance you are delaying a conversation with a CS by reading this post.

CSs are up with the gossip, down with the word on the street, over the latest news, and all around you. A CS will appear on your latest post complimenting your work and asking you how you are doing — if they’re not just asking you how you are doing; they will appear in your inbox conveying the latest forecast on Tumblr’s political movements; they will be on your dash replying to to your reply for no other reason than you left a possible hint of a ghost of an impression of a question mark in your comment; and they will be on your dash in a fresh post throwing out a conversational fishing line and waiting for a bite to sate their infinitesimal desire for conversational interaction.

Nobody hates a CS, it’s almost an impossibility. They provide ask messages when you thought the red numbers would never appear again, they provide replies to posts when you thought your piece would be doomed to “likes” only, and they give ample opportunity for distraction when you’re bored and scrolling the dash. The problem comes when people offer a CS a communication snack when the CS is always looking for a meal — a CS counteracts this possible lack of reply by answering all messages publicly thereby inviting new conversations to be started.

Conversationalist pros:

• Generally well-liked
• Sought after when looking for gossip
• Followers become friends quickly

Facebook Emulator (FE)

Sometimes known as the “Twitter Emulator (TE)”, the Facebook emulator tries to create the instant-on, the-world-must-know environment found in more character-restricting, tightly tied social networks. Among the more verbose and relevant posts, the FE will spend quite a lot of time on more frivolous posts that, if anyone was counting, would probably be 140 characters or less.

It is true that many have eschewed social networks like Facebook and Twitter for the more accepting, more eloquent world of Tumblr, but the FE forgot to leave those mindsets behind when setting up their blog. The FE will post hourly reports on breakfast choices and social altercations right alongside random pictures of food choices and pet foibles. The FE’s post topics can be similar to an AP but the FE will not disguise anything under the veil of poetry.

The FE is usually easy to approach and converse with as many of the walls restricting such interactions have been torn down by having a lot of personal information to study before making contact. The FE will also see a lot of personal replies to artistic, non-status-update pieces, as context for mood and inspiration is easily found in the preceding post about the rude bus driver or incontinent toddler.

Facebook Emulator pros:

• People know a lot about them
• Easily approachable
• Good response to pieces due to contextual insight of readers

Reblog Specialist (RS)

Most people reblog — themselves and other people — and some people reblog quite freqently, but a reblog specialist has honed reblogging down to something of a fine art — maybe even a reason for existence. An RS is enthusiastic, an avid reader and in the majority of cases, a quite accomplished writer when held up alone.

An RS usually acquires the tag immediately after entering Tumblr and, suddenly surrounded by writers they enjoy and/or admire, feel the need to let people know what works have been speaking directly to them or touching them in ways that their significant other does not. One of the few Tumblr archetypes that actually strives to read everything that crosses the dash, the RS is always reading and looking for something beautiful to decorate their blog with.

The RS is quite well respected in the community and in some cases will find that their ability to share wonderful pieces with others is more of a reason to continue blogging than creating original works. The RS is also a favourite of new Tumblr users as, for the new blogger, reblogs are gold dust.

Reblog Specialist pros:

• Well-liked by people for exposing new writers or sharing works
• Can be considered an aficionado for writing
• Original works receive a lot of attention as their uniqueness within reblogs stands out

Reblog Specialist cons:

• Some people refuse to follow blogs that focus primarily on reblogs
• Inundations of reblogs can clog the dash for periods of time
• Original works can be lost, if noticed at all, amongst the reblogs 

Participation Enthusiast (PE)

TAs absolutely rely on participation enthusiasts when they start up a project, and many other users bank on them to get something viral off the ground. The PE is the smiling youngster sitting at the front of the classroom whose hand is raised before the teacher even asks a question. The PE is the student who is on the debating team, organising the school year book, playing first chair in the school band, running for student council, and is first to arrive at working bees to beautify the school gardens.

The PE participates in everything. The most obvious example is the reblogged post that asks for a number to be placed in the ask box corresponding to an arbitrary question. The PE is the first to spot the emerging trends and will jump onto the bandwagon with reckless abandon. Any new tag-based challenge, anonymous competition, collaboration request or prompt solicitation will be answered quickly and with alacrity by the PE. Some PEs are successful and the causes they spot and tag along with work well, making them the front runner. Some PEs fail and choose the wrong things repeatedly, making them the pioneer of many lost causes. Win or lose though, the PE will stay optimistic and jump straight on the next train to come along.

Participation Enthusiast pros:

• Liked by The Activists and anybody looking to “try and start something”
• Can be considered ahead of the curve when being first to participate in a new and popular cause

Participation Enthusiast cons:

• Sometimes the inbox stays empty and the feedback is non-existent
• Can be considered gullible and willing to accept any new “craze” that rears its head

…. TO BE CONTINUED