Before registering at SDMB (I had been a long time visitor for the features,) I was a regular at another smaller board. There were some fine people there, some of whom I still email, but the atmosphere in general changed. It was not necessarily a change for the worse, just not to my liking, so I set myself adrift and landed happily at SDMB… but that is not my story, just some background to set the stage for the following events.
I got an email several days ago from an upset friend at the other board stating that one of the regulars had passed away. A family member of the decedent had logged on just long enough to let everyone know the sad news. So was I saddened? Only for a moment, then a stifling feeling of self loathing sets in. As others were posting condolences and fond memories, I was hating myself because I couldn’t believe a word of it, and I felt like evil incarnate for being so cold. I refrained from posting because I know I wouldn’t be able to be sincere. I’d have voice my doubts, and revealed myself as an uncaring lout. You see, I never believed half of anything this individual ever said. I liked him, to be sure, but felt his tall tales a quirk of personality. Maybe I even felt they it an endearing flaw, so I never called him on anything. “This,” I thought “is going to be the last straw.”
Fast forward to yesterday. Another email, and the news is just as I suspected. The family member whose account made the original post logged on to reveal the this person was alive and well, and that the un-deceased had used their name to cause the fuss. No apology is offered, just excuses involving unspecified personal problems, and hints of post traumatic stress disorder. ‘Family member’ then starts the odious project of cutting and pasting top ten lists, old jokes, and other tripe onto the board. After PMing the mod and apologizing ahead of time, I decide it’s time politely tell ‘family member’ I find the whole stunt reprehensible, and that his apologist behavior was inappropriate. He retorts with accusations that I would have been glad if the news had been true, and that if my unsympathetic remarks lead to a gory and bloody suicide it will be on my shoulders.
Guess what? You can fuck yourself sideways with a Louisville Slugger, you ill-bred pile of afterbirth. I don’t believe in your personal problems, and there sure as hell aren’t any that excuse you tormenting that group of caring, if gullible, people. I don’t believe in your stress disorder, nor your stories of how you acquired it. I don’t believe there is more than one person posting on your behalf, and I am not swayed by your ham-handed attempt to make me feel guilt and sympathy. You are a goat-wanking sheep tosser manning the barnyard glory hole. Screw you for toying with the emotions of those people for your own sick purposes.
Feel free to think me overly harsh, dear reader. Mayhaps I am, but my skepticism has always served me well. I’m waiting patiently for act two in which ‘un-decedent’ ‘apologizes’ with several caveats, and is forgiven so that he can hatch his next passive aggressive ploy for attention.