Give me something to cry about.

It is a beautiful spring day: the grass is that shade of green that is almost neon. The sky and flowers twinkle pink, fuzzy chick downy yellow, and fairy-lavendar kisses. The good citizens are walking dogs and babies. Coffee is ready, the dog is feed, and everyone is where they should be.

So why am I crying?

Well, for starters, I checked my work email. This has been an awful year.

And I read Big Bear's post today: http://thebigbearbutt.com/2012/04/11/i-have-met-the-asshat-and-it-is-dalra/

Dalra: let me tell you something, please. You have my pity.

In conversations about this very topic of LFD and LFR with my cross-dressing rogue, I had to reflect on my game purpose, and its parallels to real life are scary. I needed a break from my two former larger guilds, but still wanted to keep up on gear in case I change my mind. And just like work, right now I am working for a paycheck and smiles, and not much else. And I am grateful for both, and very blessed. But let me put something in perspective: my boss's boss makes more than the governor of my state. Bear was mentioning 'pork' in tweets the other day. The hog's place at the proverbial trough is too greedy for words.

Dalra, your blip on the screenshot is your moment of glory for you. I fear that is all you have. To me, I imagine the Dalras of the world looking very pasty faced, bloated waistlines, and in need of a hair washing. But the Bears of the world will turn over your rock, and then step on you. Squich! That is the sound of an invertebrate under a bear paw.

And like a good guild, a few of my stalwart colleagues have been trying to come up with positive solutions, to take action.

But these bosses, some of my bosses, have no discernible chinks. The fact--the very fact (!) that I am even looking for these chinks would demonstrate to those who know me and the situation how awful that is. I do not do not do not want to hurt anyone. But I don't want to be hurt either, nor do I want those whose charge and care are my responsibility to be harmed.

As I said in a comment to Bear, these players/people ultimately steal our most precious commodity, our time. Witness even how annoyed I got over little druids and gnomes poaching my noblegarden eggs. We don't want others to take our time.

One the way back from an errand this morning, I caught the tail-end of a conversation by a young man who had been ruthlessly bullied. The response of the principal was, "There is nothing I can do. [sic] Unless you want me to talk to every kid, and not all kids are bullies. So unless we/I see it, nothing can be  done."

Um- that is where you are wrong, sir.

Players, be aware that the audience is listening, but they are also taking screenshots. 
And some of them have readers in the 2+million range.