BIG requested we trim out the quotes from Juliana's private mail to me.
I'll just leave it with my stating that it was rude childish and
unfortunately I think shows her true feelings on the issue.  She seems to
think somehow her shelter is more of a shelter than our shelter.  We'll
only quote her public message and a private message from someone else but
with the name removed to prevent the less than nice people from ganging up
on the correspondant out of spite.  Persoanlly I would have preferred to
let you see what Juliana wrote so you could apply your own descriptive
terms instead of relying on my probably biased assessment.  If anyone
wants to see them just ask - but its probably not worth any effort at all
on your parts.
 
Juliana said:
>As for the rest of the round-about way you managed to make a personal
>attack based on your assumptions, I'm not even going to legitimize your
>drivel with a response.
 
Juliana acknowledges that her message might be understood in her first real
sentance.  Since a main point I was trying to make was that saying things
like that would cause problems even if it was a misunderstanding then I
guess the response should really have been "Yup.  Thats right." In the
ferret world I've sort of become a philospher/teacher personna.  It wasn't
a goal it just happened.  I have no overall goal in the ferret world except
to bridge gaps and try to unite the various "factions".  Some factions
don't "wanna play nice" but I try anyway.
 
One comment she made directly to me was rudely asking something about what
happens to homeless ferrets that come into our shelter since I still am not
a supporter of some forms of "fostering".  Ferrets come into our shelter
and then either go into our personal pets or into another home.  No hairy
limbo involved.  We personally aren't normally too fond of the way foster
homes for people work either.  A lot of foster parents are great.  Some
aren't.  The good ones seem to be those that actually want a permanent
adoption so that re-enforces our goal for ferrets.
 
One bit that was in both private notes that I think summed up perfectly
Juliana's attitude was her following an insult with her own laugh track.
Its not about ferrets or even ferret shelters when you send an insult and
then show how funny you think it is.  Thats about hate.
 
I don't bash "shelters".  I run a shelter.  Juliana was "bashing" me so
does that mean she is bashing shelters?  No.  Just as my disagreeing with
her is not bashing shelters.  I certainly do not think that Juliana can
speak for shelters in general and certainly not for "everyone".
 
I got a very nice note from someone grateful that I posted that (you sent
it, you know who you are but you don't need folks that are filled with hate
attacking you as well so you are "anonymous" here)
 
"Name Withheld" wrote:
>I just read your post in the FML from a couple days ago--the one about
>not hating people, and not fighting the world.  Or, to put it a bit more
>positively, about loving other people/places/things, because that's the
>same as loving yourself...
>
>Thank you for saying it.  :-)
>
>I always wondered about your name.  Wasn't sure if it was just
>tongue-in-cheek, or had meaning behind the humor...
 
I do also want people to read something else you wrote.  It really expresses
well what exactly I am trying to say or rather why I'm trying to say it.
We tooks the name mostly because I identify with Phaedrus in "Zen and the
Art of Motorcycle Maintanance" but more and more now with the narrator.  I
feel that is progress.  No I don't realte too much with Lila from the
sequel though we did name a ferret Lila.
 
"Name Withheld" wrote:
>[...] I really liked what you said about working with the public--with
>people who aren't already "ferret folks." Most ferret folks are good
>people, but I get sick of the infighting and fanaticism sometimes... I
>start to feel that someone has created an unreachable standard out there,
>and is measuring me against it.  I don't like unreachable standards anyway.
 
The majority of shelter folk I know are very friendly and supportive of
most of what I say.  I never expect anyone to agree 100%.  Heck I admit to
changing my mind so even I don't agree with 100% of what I've said in the
past.  But that bit I was sent about fanaticism and unreachable goals is
important.  If people see you as a fanatic or holding them up to a standard
that you yourself probably can't reach (not if you have a shelter full of
ferrets anyway) you are not doing well at making the "ferret world" look
good.  And yes that IS a goal of a ferret shelter to our way of thinking.
 
The majority of shelter folk are good people (if you really know me you
know that that simple phrase to me is powerful praise).  Most work hard
with the people they come into contact with.  Most shelter folk co-operate
with each other for the good of all, not just to build themselves or their
little clique up.
 
In a couple weeks Diane and I will be up in Pennsylvania giving what we
can to support one of the best shelters we know.  That shelter has never to
my knowledge felt that "I bash shelters".  We'll be a part of a group of
others - many or most of whom also run shelters that are doing our part to
help one shelter that has done so much for ferrets.  Perhaps more than any
other single shelter.  But then there are a LOT of really good shelters and
I do not really like to try to compare things that don't need comparison.
There are quite a few shelters that do all that they can fer their charges.
I do hope that those people see me in a positive light.  But those that
seem about hatred of people (be it all people or just those not in their
clique) matter little to my self-esteem.
 
If you can make it to the show for Warm Fuzzy Ferrets shelter by all means
go.  Its going to be fun.  Its going to be beneficial to precisely those
that many of us profess to want to help.  The ferrets that are the wards
of a wonderful shelter.
 
-bill
--
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2746]