After Dark, June 25, 2013

It Gets Better

I must be getting old...

by Gaëtan L. Charlebois

@gcharlebois

You have to know when to let it go. 

After last week's rant, the CharPo team dove into the most intense month of our year - Montreal Fringe, followed by Ottawa, followed by Toronto. Yes, there are still fuckups on all sides left and right, but compared to the enthusiasm and amazing energy of the people on our team, their unabashed excitement about Fringe and their mind-blowing productivity, I have found myself truly enjoying the ride...

...as I do every year. 

Keeping up with our regular daily content and formatting Fringe reviews takes a buttload of time on my own and on National Editor-in-Chief Estelle Rosen's part. But I do make the job a little longer myself. Even after Estelle has done a first scan of pieces sent, I find myself reading - and with pleasure - each and every review when, technically, I could cut and paste and move on. (This is a habit dating back to when I was six when I would read the encyclopedia for pleasure simply because new things excited me.) 

Things that pissed me off, I let go of

There is some thrilling stuff going on across the country this summer! So much of it that I find myself resetting my priorities on everything. Things that pissed me off, I let go of and begin to focus on this thrilling stuff which in turn allows me to appreciate the glorious weather which in turns means I sleep well which means in turn I wake up ready to work.

Moreover, I have noticed that, on politics, I have focussed my perceptions and, so, my reactions have also changed. I feel I am not rising to rage as often. I am learning to differentiate between idiot opinions (which, like Sarah Palin in toto, don't merit attention) and toxic opinions (actual legislators, like in Russia and Uganda, passing barbaric, 16th century anti-GLBT laws). 

This change in reaction, to close the circle, has now come back to CharPo and the comments which are expressed with gusto especially during Fringe season. I really like contrary opinion, especially when well-stated. But - oh my! - there are some vicious fucks out there. 

But, to those usually-anonymous ones: Say hello to Governor Palin.