Saturday, February 28, 2009

The Online Rainbow Community

It was only time before Rainbow moved into the internet.

This is a very interesting subject for me.

I have spent almost six years going to and over almost every Rainbow oriented site, blog, or forum on the net.

It amazes me at the amount of differences between everyone and Rainbow.

Technology is not a bad thing.

What you choose to do with technology determines it's worth.

The internet has been able to bring people together from all over the world. It has allowed people to communicate like never before. People from distant lands are able to talk and become friend with out even ever meeting each other in person. A great way to make a lot of enemies also.

I feel that the Online Rainbow Community is in it's infancy.

It has been for over a decade.

I have witnessed things that I never thought I would be able to see.

Regardless of if it is not in person... I still get that great feeling stirring inside of me when I see new photos, videos, or Rainbow family showing up on the net. There is just something so strong about Rainbow that it even effects me from a far and through a computer.

No matter how thrilling it has been to discover Rainbow on the internet... it has also brought on a whole new level of understanding for me. And the understanding is not always pleasant. People have the habit of ruining anything that can be good for them.

The same thing can be said for the internet and the Online Rainbow Community.

I do not know one day that goes by where I see people online fighting.

Literally... verbal battles.

Don't even have to be in the same space throwing fisticuffs to feel the energy that comes off of these battles.

IT IS CRAZY!

Some of these battles have been going on for years.

So in so against so and so.

Others take sides.

Group mentality takes effect and people start talking the worst shit to each other.

I know this, as I have participated in it on many an occasion, and have finally decided to try and watch my own online behavior.

This stuff has been going on for years!

A perfect example is the Rainbow news group Alt.Group.Rainbow. (Otherwise known as AGRO!)

They have people calling each other names.

Threatening each other with violence.

Making up lies against each other.

Calling and reporting each other to LEO.

Folks coming on and crying for attention and threatening suicide.

Egos are at full mast and people seem to feel that they need to tell everyone else what is wrong with them and how they are so great.

People post other people's personal information online in hopes of having people hurt them or fuck with them.

It just gets so unbearable.

Funny thing about it?

They are mostly all older folk who claim to be Rainbow and never practice what they preach to everyone else around them.

Life, it seems to be slowly passing them by, and making them feel that they need to show everyone else that they still have some worth in the ole bones.

Half of them never go to the gatherings and just sit online all year complaining about what other people the do go to the gatherings are doing.

It gets old.

Especially when it is online for each and every human being to see... if they want to.

These are supposedly a lot of the people that others are supposed to look up to.

They are supposed to be spreading messages and meanings of Rainbow.

The younger generation now sees this and wants nothing to do with people like this.

The ones that do are usually reminded of just how unimportant they are and criticized along their whole journey. Then they try to discover what Rainbow is on their own and away from the gatherings.

Usually in the cities.

I have experienced it myself and learned a long time ago... If I wanted to learn about Rainbow and find out what it means to me... I NEEDED TO STAY AWAY FROM THESE MODERN EGO FESTS IN THE WOODS THAT THEY CALL RAINBOW GATHERINGS!

I would have better luck meeting the people that I was looking for... away from the Gatherings. Usually in the cities. I noticed that they too had learned to stay away from the Gatherings and were spreading the love in other ways.

It is often said that the cities are the darkest places on this Earth and that they need the brightest lights.

I truly believe this with all of my hearts.

In my opinion, you will not find the majority of people that are true to Rainbow, sitting on their asses in the woods.

They are sitting in the cities.

They are healing people and places.

Truly spreading the love!

I see all the people that are touched.

They show up to the woods to seek the experience and love that they were directed to.

WHAT DO THEY SHOW UP TO?

I do not know anymore.

I am still debating on if my family will ever go to another Rainbow "Gathering" myself.

Meanwhile, I am left to dwell in the Online Rainbow Community.

Having to do so has taught me more about myself and Rainbow that any Gathering that I have ever been to.

It is a whole different realm when dealing with other folk online.

People tend to forget that they are talking with real live human beings on the other end somewhere.

They forget the common curtsies that come along with interacting in person.

There is no physical greeting.

No hugging.

No eye contact.

No sound.

No touching.

No smelling.

In all reality, most of the time we have no clue to who we might even be talking with.

It is easy to forget all of these things and get caught up in the reading and responding.

This cause many issues for everyone.

I am guilty of a lot of negative behavior online.

But slowly, I have learned that I am forgetting who I am, and how I should act when dealing with others.

It is all to easy to do.

People can take the time to think out what they want to say. They can use the written word as a weapon sharper than any sword.

Or... they do not think and say things that can not be taken back.

This, it seems, causes many misunderstandings and arguments amongst people that would never even have an issue if they were to meet in person. It causes folk to judge other people. And very harshly at that.

I, myself, have been called every name in the book.

I have dished out quite a bit myself.

I choose to no longer do it.

I wish others would take some time and reflect on things like this.

Maybe, just maybe then, we can start focusing on the better things in life.

So, I have decided to take a long break from the Online Rainbow Community and stick to my blog here.

Don't like what I say... don't read it!