I think in recent years, both on the FHL and in our own private lives,
each of us have seen and known people who either:
1. Got a lot busier
or
2. Had a lot of added tensions in life
or
3. Both

The reasons for this are varied. Some of us (Steve and I included)
have had a mix of demands placed upon us: sick older family members (a
common problem in our generation), older family members with dementia
(ditto), dying older family members (ditto), work placing greater
demands for the income generated (also a common problem for our
generation because many places are trimming out their older employees
at all levels in attempts to limit pension costs), etc.

There are certainly people here with other or additional tensions.

Now for some of us that means sloppier writing and being on less
often (I am an example.), but sometimes it means that people become
less tolerant, less understanding, and more likely to have temper
difficulties. In some cases (and I can think of someone Steve and I
know personally on this score) the tensions have actually lead to
unhealthy behaviors like over-use of drugs such as alcohol and then the
uninhibited but impaired people are even more likely to flame, scream,
tantrum, weep, cling, complain and more depending on if a person is
reading them or listening to them on the phone or in person. (Someone
Steve and I know like that has finally mentioned getting help and
hopefully will carry through. Whew.)

When reading posts and when writing maybe it pays to take ten deep
breaths first and remember that sometimes people misread (So, read
again before getting angry and then writing, please.) or more likely
to lash out due more to what they are going through off-list than what
is happening on-list. Note that I wrote that is ***sometimes*** the
case. (Many years there are also people who do that stuff more often
during the holidays, too, or when they get cabin fever.)

So, peace on list, good will to fellow list members.

I can think of a few people here whose behavior has changed a lot for
the worse in recent months or years (to the point that a few would be
barely recognizable as the same people when comparing posts from
several years ago to now unless a person followed the transition) so
if even one has a self-recognition moment and gets help that will be a
great way -- for everyone but especially for them -- to end 2010 and
begin 2011.

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)

[Posted in FML 6927]