Personal Demons 1: Depression

And thus begins my foray into a few posts detailing how best it is to fight the unseen terrors that often plague our own lives.

You cannot begin to help others before you have helped yourself. Often, we neglect this, and go for the immediate gain of rushing to the safety of others. It is part of all of our psychoses I think, but we really must take better care of ourselves.

I will be detailing in the next few installments ways in which we can fight the everyday problems. They are not crime, or supervillains; they are the normal, everyday issues everyone must deal with.

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The Blues and You
Depression takes many different forms, and can be as subtle as just feeling off and a little down to as drastic as being catatonic and feeling suicidal. I first wish to say that if you are indeed in the later group, death brought early upon each on of us is a tragedy. No one is a waste of life, no matter how worthless and troubled you may feel.

Speaking from personal experience, there do come times in your life when you will believe that there is no cause for you. People worry about what others think, but it is often ourselves who are the worst critics of our character. We all have those moments of crushing self-doubt and hate. It is a natural response. The important thing to remember is that you are loved, and you do have a great importance on the lives of those around you, most likely that you will never truly be able to comprehend.

When depressed, we most often seek the comfort of ourselves, and try to retreat from the common things we used to enjoy. This may be by our own volition, or just by the sheer fact that we do not enjoy them anymore. Depression can be brought about by any series of hardships, or it can be brought swiftly and for no apparent cause.

It is imperative that you do not give into these feelings of worthlessness.

Depression affects your productivity, your will to be active. Your eating and habits and interests will be affected. These are also the things which will ultimately help you to overcome this terrible drought of character.

Solutions and Self Help
I will recommend first and foremost that if you are again feeling suicidal, you contact help. Your doctor, your friends, your family, anyone you can trust and love. Suicidal thoughts consume us in our worst times because we desire to give in and end the temporary pain we feel. But that quick out will never be worth it to you. You are loved.

Suicidal depression is difficult to overcome, but one of the best ways to deal with it, along with any sort of depression, is to talk and make it known. There is social stigma about it, but do not care what others will think. This is about you, and the good it will do to have others close to you reassure you of your place in life and the world is the best medicine you can ever have.

Physical activity of any sort will also help. When the body gets lazy, so does the mind, and it is left to wander and wonder as to its worth. Keep an active life to counteract the depression. Working out, focused studying, doing activities you love with friends; these are simple interactions that will stimulate your body into producing the necessary chemicals to fight those thoughts of self hate.

A healthy diet and good sleep are a must, and are also some of the most undervalued aids in fighting this particular inner demon. The body is an fantastic creation, and the balance of its internal workings should be handled with utmost care, especially when the mind is so saddened. Keeping your body healthy will keep your mind healthy, and allow you to think right about your purpose and situation.

The Result
For many, depression is a short term thing. The result of an ended relationship, a lost loved one, or some other grievance. For others, it is a longer battle, which has its root in deep problems which may or may not have any actual explanation.

The thing to remember is this: just because you think it is bad, does not mean it actually is.

When in a depressed state, the thing that has always helped me most is keep this state of mind, to tell myself that despite the apparent horror of the current situation, it is not as bad as it may seem. And who knows? It may actually be as bad as you think it is, but that is still no reason to indulge in the self-deprecation of that realization.

We are all here to be better. If our situation, our life, our world is not good enough, we do have the power to make it better. Change can be a powerful force for good. Knowing how to use it for yourself and your own depression will be the difference between life and death sometimes.

It is all ultimately about being better, as this always will be. Depression is like any other demon: fight with your spirit and activity and you will defeat it. And that is something truly heroic.

~~~~~~~

I challenge those who have read this to be bold and post in the comments about something they may feel let down or saddened about. We all have issues in the world. It is that common bond of help and understanding which allows us to overcome.

Reboot

Recently I have stumbled upon a limitation that has been causing some strife for me: I have been limiting myself.

I could patrol, but I do not because I my suit is improper for it.

I could be more active, but I do not because I think few care.

I could let Mr. Jack grow, but I do not because I am afraid of being found out.

That all ends. No more suit, no more caring of what people think and say, no more caring if my identity is discovered. Today is a reboot.

After nearly a year of "being active" and being in the community, I am once again a new face, a new person. We shall see how this new person fares, and what he is capable of. Mr. Jack became lazy with his own self-indulgences, however small they might have been. The time for trivialities like that are at an end.

What real good do I do if I only go out when I can suit up and be recognized? The point of this is to help, not be a name and somebody. That would be nice, but if I help at least a few people in this life, doing this thing, by myself or with my friends, even if I am not ultimately remembered, I will have succeeded.

I started doing this for fame, you know. It was a selfish act masked as a selfless one. And it is time for that to change.

A small list of things to do:

-Patrol at least 3 times a week
-Concentrate efforts on promoting on campus awareness of different issues
-Identify main problem areas in city
-Begin my Acts

It is time to get the ball rolling. Stay tuned, fair readers.

Peace and Piece

The word “Islam” is derived from the Arabic root word of “salema.” For those unfamiliar with this beautiful tongue, it means peace in the most general sense. Like all words, it has multiple definitions, which include purity, submission, and obedience. We hear these words in English, and we think power, we think control. This is not, however, the same thing. Submission and obedience in Arabic are more akin to the English words of humbleness and respect. In essence, the word Islam seeks to embody the ideal relationship that a person should have with god: that of reverent service and loving piety and peace.

Islam is founded on the Five Pillars of faith. Shahadah, which means to witness roughly as in the way Christians only witness one god above all others, Zakat, alms giving, Salah, which is prayer, Sawm, which is fasting to show devotion, and the Hajj, or the pilgrimage to the holy land. Together these five hallmarks embody the two ultimate beliefs in Arabic: love of god, and love of neighbor and family.

When viewed in conjunction with Christianity, which is what the majority of Americans believe in, it is quite simple to see the connections. Both share a devotion to god, a respect and honoring of neighbor, and a love of family and charity. In fact, Islam and Christianity are almost one and the same, having both gone off of the Torah with their own further interpretations. They are both Semitic in origin, and their cultures are inexorably tied together.

I point out these definitions because it is through a terrible great many traumas and issues which we as Americans have come to view the Islamic world as a world of hate, violence and control, which is rather what the Islamic world tends to also say about America. The most recent agitation of the feud concerns the actions of 19 men.

19 men. Radicals of a religion which few others would ever take to the same extremes. Vigilantes, who saw widespread injustice and sought to destroy it.  Just a dozen and a half men who decided that enough was enough, and that they would make the ultimate sacrifice to prove that their faith, their countries, and their world would not be subjugated under might and power.

And then the towers fell.

And then the other radicals began to talk. Radicals of a politic which few others would ever take to the same extremes. Crusaders, who saw widespread injustice and sought to destroy it. Just a dozen and a half men who decided that enough was enough, and that they would send others to make the ultimate sacrifice to prove that their faith, their country, and their world would not be threatened by inferiors rebels and terrorists.

People forgot about the hundreds of Arab Americans who also died when the towers fell, who had come to this country peacefully with the same promise we all ultimately have. They forgot about the thousands of Muslim families in America who watched in horror as their beloved nation was attacked, and then turned on them with hate and blame. They forgot how both faiths, brothers in belief, had been born of the same love of god, man, and peace.

And suddenly, Islam meant hate. There was no understanding, no time to even think. There was only action, and anger, and pain, and suffering, and a terrible outcry about things which people could not quite define but had known to be for thousands of years. And then there was war.

Nine years after that attack we still have not healed. People of Islamic faith in America are looked down upon with derision and suspicion. Our brothers and sisters, who suffered as the Japanese Americans did in World War II for the same sort of incident, still suffer today. We look upon them as aliens, as conspirators, as terrorists. We do not recognize that they too are victims of an attack. An attack which struck their honor and the very hallmarks of all they believe. They are as us, and we are all still in pain and pieces.

And it is not right.

Today is a day of remembrance for the fallen, but it should also be a remembrance of those who still live on. We all live with a burden, of guilt, of loss, and of misunderstanding.

If we are ever to understand peace, we must understand our own hate first. We must conquer that general loathing we harbor wantonly, and realize that this was not just an attack on white, Christian America, but an attack on everything Islam stands for, everything the Arab world has tried to accomplish, and everything we have today. It was an attack on all of us.

As people who are attempting to be exemplars of society, we must not give in, no matter how deep our hate and no matter how great our pain is, to our desire to relieve that pain but dealing it out to those we feel have wronged us. The violence we deliver never heals. It will always leave a wound and always leave somebody else who then thinks they can relieve it with putting it on to something else. If we ever are to live in peace, we must bring the pieces of our wild anger into bounds. And we must love.

This day is a day of mourning. For today people still die because of that attack. People still burn books because of it. And people still cry for war because of it. Until that stops, and until we as progressing humans attempt to help our own hate and hurt end, there can never be healing.

A Hero in the Night, Apparently

http://heroesinthenight.blogspot.com/2010/08/hero-profile-43-mr-jack.html
I got featured on Heroes in the Night. (^^)

One year ago, I was looking on Wikipedia at people like Superbarrio, Master Legend, Superhero, Zetaman, Dark Guardian. Trying to get into contact with Dreamer, Mr. Silent and others. Thinking about what it would be like to ever meet up with any of these people and meet them, see what they were like. I did not even have a name back then, or any idea how I would go about getting to actually do these things with my situation.

But I worked. And a year later, I am happy beyond compare.

The people I have met in the community are special. I would have never thought to be featured or receive such offers and attention. I never had before, so why expect different. But that has changed, and with this I can do things and make the sort of difference I want to.

It makes me proud to be called and call others RLSH. And to be mentioned in such high regard by so many great people. Thank you, Mr. Krulos, for you feature. I will do what I can to earn it.

Elaboration

Recently I was asked by Poop Knife a question, one which is rather simple in its asking but complex in its inquiry. What is evil?

I have decided to edit and expand my response to him and post it here, as I think it is a question which rather crops up quite a bit in our community. As always, let me know what you think.

For the original post, click here: http://evilsupremepizza.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-is-evil.html

~~~~~~~

I am inclined to believe, much as I do about many things, that evil is innate. That is to say, objective. That evil is an absolute thing within the world that can be conquered, manipulated, and felt. That it is real. This, however, is pretty far from what I actually think is. I will give some background first to root it.

I believe that the world we live in is completely objective, which is to say that everything in it is natural, absolutely definable, and speaks for itself without having outside influences give or take meaning from it. The issue is that people themselves are beings of pure subjectivity. We interpret, we investigate, we bias and comment and bicker and decipher, all through the scope of our own limited interaction within the realm of actuality. Humans live in this world of absolute reality, but their own interpretations and subjectivity blur it, often beyond all comprehension. This is a huge and irreconcilable issue, and one which people tend to ignore.

The reason it is ignored lies with the fact that not anybody wants to deal with things which cannot be reasoned or defined, for the fact that humans are creatures of subjectivity also means that they desire to define things in their own terms. We are all Adam giving names to the world around us, but it is a mundane practice which only really helps us to cope with the fact that the world we are living in is completely beyond our grasp in intellect. There are exceptions, but I digress.

I used to say that good and evil are absolute terms, rooted in the objective world, that you could define them as easily as a scientist defines the different types of rock. But since I have come to terms with what really is going on, I have changed that belief greatly.

Good and evil, like all things man made, are subjective creations imposed upon objectivity. They are therefor nearly impossible to define on a general basis, and almost always false in their giving. You can give estimations however. Killing is generally perceived as an evil act, and while I would like to think of it as absolutely evil, that is my own bias talking. Killing, in point of fact can be interpreted as good in some cases, but this dual nature of interpretation is only the result of the real truth. That truth is that the universe does not have an opinion or a moral compass. Man does. Actions in the universe have no intrinsic meaning associated with them; ergo, they just are. And so death in the universe is not evil, it just is. Just like everything else. Man gives it meaning, and that meaning is often that it is evil. But in the confines of this universal law of nihilistic association, this is not always so.

On this theory, the world is simple to understand, because really, there is very little to understand and find out. The laws of physics, the development of the universe, and the what, when, how, and where are all simple questions used to investigate. They are tied to understanding the mechanics of an existence that does not give meaning, but these are rarely questions of "why". "Why" is reserved for questions concerned with subjectivity, those questions of meaning. "Why" is therefor concerned with man, as the universe is so objective it does not actually have any why to speak of it is again, just is.

Evil is whatever you make it to be. It is an unfortunate thing in some ways, but in others, liberating. Evil is defined as whatever a person defines it to be. You could say that you are a supreme being of evil and the most incarnate vestige of it. That is your definition of it, and it stands. No one can argue it. It is your own reality within reality, and as such is your truth.

There is, however, a contention to be had with this, and that is the power of group subjectivity. You see, if many different, separate and subjective sources identify one thing as being something, it becomes much more powerful and real. For instance, it is one thing for you to call yourself the most evil supreme being of all time. It is quite another for 1,000 people to do so. This, this subjective collectivity of definition, is actually what I constitutes power. The fact that man levies meaning upon a world of none gives the meaning sway over man, and so man creates his own psychological cage in this way. The more power, the more agreed upon subjectivity, the more real and accepted something is.

Evil can then be thought of as a specific expression of power, particularly of concern with destruction and things that are not perceived as "morally right." But again, since evil is a subjective definition, it really does not have any actual power of itself. Beast are not concerned with evil. Their morality stems from what helps them to survive, as does ours. Humans, however, have twisted this set of primal morality into imaginary definitions and guidelines for what we like to call "society," a fancy term for animals who think they are not animals.

Evil in this case represents actions which are detrimental to the societal whole, and are agreed upon by those various subjective interpretations we were talking about earlier. In simplest terms, death can be seen as promoting the destruction of life and the ability to live, while good is promotion of creation and livelihood. Let me be clear, however. They are not actually creation and destruction, merely the promotion of such. Good and evil are not actions, just definitions of actions, and as such cannot be used to actually interact with out highly objective world. Humans forget this fact in their passion and desire to be "right," and forge ahead with foolishness derived from a sense of ego feeding.

In this light we can see that evil is completely subjective, and therefor without definition. That it is a definition of what is, but not actually anything. But we can also see, as with all things, that if subjective investigations are made and all agree upon certain definitions, we can make the completely subjective nature of such things as evil a powerful and real force. In essence, we create something out of nothing, which really is something to be astounded by.

The Emerald Avengers

Sunday, August 15th, 2010 was so much fun, and exactly what I needed to get back into the proper spirit of things.

(Left to right: SkyMan, White Baron, and myself)

It started out full of a bit of havoc. Trying to park in Seattle, changing into my costume in broad daylight in a care on the side of the street. My eyesight was poor, and I was anxious to be back in the game. But I strode up Broad St. to the Space Needle, ready for the day.

On the way, I met my first mark to help. A man sitting on a bench, looking devoid of much income and very thirsty. I had thought to bring along a case of water with me, packing as much as I could in my bag. He spoke first, pointing out not the absurdity of my suit or shoes or tie, no, but my purple gloves. I told him they were sanitized. Asking why, I answered "I do some dirty work in these," then promptly offered him a bottle of water. He was very appreciative, and called me brother, and wished me a wonderful day. A good start indeed.

As a side not, it never ceases to amaze me that while most people gawk at our gimmicks, the homeless and in need look past the mask and costume and see the person. They are the only people I ever come across in uniform who do not seem to acknowledge me being dressed like, as Meow put it, "a well dressed bank robber."

Back on topic.

They were gathered at the steps of the ticketing counter to the Space Needle. There they stood: SkyMan, fancifully dressed in his red, green and blue motif, White Baron, who seriously looks amazingly awesome in all his armored glory, and Irishman, a real treat to finally meet him even though he was not in costume.

We exchanged greetings, took a few shots, then proceeded to patrol Seattle Center for a bit. The Sunday was busy with activities and fairs of various sorts, and we were essentially tourists for a time being. Just a group of costumed crazies out on the town in that glorious heat. And was it hot!

After touring Seattle Center and speaking with several nice groups of people, we decided to move onto Pike Place. After being swindled out of five bucks for parking help from a homeless guy (I ended up parking elsewhere), we met in front of the Seattle Aquarium and began our patrol in earnest. We managed to provide water to many folks, all grateful of our gift of refreshment. We headed up and then towards Pioneer Square, when Irishman had to depart from us. I still cannot believe I actually got to meet him. It was an honor. He is a great fellow.

White Baron, SkyMan and I continued our patrol, bonding and being gawked at, handing out water to those who needed it. Once we hit Pioneer Square we turned to head back to the Viaduct, having felt pretty successful in our water handout and beginning to call it a day. We came across two security professionals guarding the Federal building. They were very supportive.

While coming up under the Viaduct, a peculiar monster on a strange vehicle stopped at the stop sign just at the intersection ahead of us.

(The monster in question, Bag Monster)

It was Bag Monster, a man on a mission. Starting in San Fransisco, Bag Monster's mission is to ride across the country to bring a simple message of conservation: use less plastic. Did you know the average person uses 500 plastic bags in a year? That is the amount he wears, and it is truly incredible.

Visit http://www.bagmonster.com/ for more information on this man's great journey to bring awareness. I fully support this man in his endeavor. His is truly an RLSH in his own right.

We talked, were interviewed by his team, and posed and took pictures with him, even video taping a spot for his advertisement. It was all so exciting, and completely unplanned.

It was truly a great day.

Come to find out that our little water patrol was actually one of three that all happened on August 15th. Thanatos in Vancouver and the Team Justice in Florida all had the same bright idea as us.

You can read about their efforts and ours here, at http://heroesinthenight.blogspot.com/2010/08/rlsh-vs-dog-days-of-summer.html. Tea Krulos is an amazing writer. If you have not read his blog, you must start now.

We ended that night, Irishman, SkyMan, White Baron and I, as the Emerald Avengers, and I must say, that our success in helping hand out water on such a hot day is truly invigorating. It was one of the most memorable experiences to date, and I am truly excited to be back in action.

It just goes to show you that even the simplest of actions and needs can truly be a heroic act of kindness in their providing.

Stay frosty everyone.

Dusting Off

Time for a confession: it has been months since I have done anything remotely resembling work as RLSH or as Mr. Jack. And frankly, it has sucked supremely.

Worse yet, I most definitely deserved that feeling of being a near complete lie. I deserve a lot less credit than I am given. When it comes to upholding my duties, I have blown royal ass.

I have tried to ignore it, that feeling. It is an itch, deep in mind and apparently my stomach, grindingly roiling around to remind me that the life I live in the mask is dormant and false. I honestly do not feel like I have earned anything these last few months for myself. Sure, I have been busy, and not set in one place, and timing has been inconvenient and things just did not work out. So many excuses.

Time for that to stop.

I am dusting off the old mask and suiting up tomorrow to join Skyman and White Baron in Seattle to patrol, and I am so very excited to be at it again. It needs to happen more for me. Expect regular updates about my doings in the next few months, and if you do not get them, request them. Having others who expect something of you helps sometimes, and I am too often the one who does not ask for help. Here, I am.

Mr. Jack is officially about to kick ass.

Stay frosty, ladies and gents.

How to Get Cake

How to get cake, or as it also known on the internet:

CAKE OR DEATH?

(Seriously though, click on the "CAKE OR DEATH?" as it is actually a link. Please watch the video, or the rest of this post is going to make terribly little sense to you.)

When confronted with the question "cake or death," is is indeed a reasonable bet that the response will be something along the lines of "cake." Sometimes a "please" is thrown in as well, or if the questioned person is feeling particularly well spirited and in the mood they may reply along the lines of "oh yes, some cake would be quite splendid I would rather love some to have as it is one of my favorite things to ingest and consume." But only in rare occasions is the later form used. Usually, it is just "cake, please."

Honestly, try going up to a person and do this very exercise. Threaten them with either cake or death. Observe their response, give them the response desired, record your results, and continue your experiment until sufficient data has been gathered. Of course, having someone answer "death, please" will rather put a damper on conducting such a scientific inquiry and may lead you to need to cut your research short, lest the law interfere.

In all seriousness, though, how many people do you honestly know who would seriously pick death over cake, given the honest to goodness choice of the two? No one would. Given a choice between cake and death, it has been found (through the extensive sort of research mentioned prior) that approximately in the ball park of about roughly 100% of test subject mostly will answer "cake" more often than not most likely usually. This is just a rough estimate, again, but one which has been proven scientifically time and again.

Now personally, I see this as being a basic human trait: we want to live, and we want to live well, which makes the question of "cake or death" seem naturally funny to us. Normal humans, which is to say the vast majority of us, want to live happy, healthy, productive, and loving lives that they can feel good about. This has to some been seen as the quintessential goal of all humans, but let us not aspire to such big words and merely say it is a pretty good thing to want, shall we?

Within this context, we can clearly see why people choose cake at least 100% of the time in most cases. Cake is delicious.

It gives us good warm feelings inside our stomachs. No matter what type of cake you prefer, it all is, quite naturally, the most happy, healthy, productive, and loving food you could ever consume*. So what do people who want to live eat? They eat cake. Case closed on the issue of "cake or death" really.

Now to the point of this. We have established that people wish to live happy, healthy, productive, (cake) loving lives. If people want to live such lives of blissful (cake) happiness, it only comes to follow that they will desire the path that leads them to such results. If people want good (cake) lives, and they want to find the best path (to cake), then how does causing combative and unreasonably ridiculous drama fit into such a description.

Simply put, it does not.

The main reason this ever occurs is that people like attention. This selfish need for bloated self-importance stems back to times when people without such great cake filled lives wanted to seem like they too were good of live and cake. So, they found other ways besides being happy, healthy, productive, and loving to get their cake, and at the center of all these dark cake dreams is one thing: a selfish desire for attention.

Let me make this abundantly clear: if you cause drama, you will not get a happy, healthy, productive and loving life because of it. You will not even get cake. Some cases of such drama inducing have, in fact, actually led to death. And from a cakeological standpoint, this just does not make sense.

Why in the whole world would anyone ever choose death over cake? There honestly is no good reason, leading to the conclusion that the person making such drama and toying with deadly forces of anti-cakedom is being completely unreasonable. Which is, frankly, stupid as hell.

The point of this cake filled analogy is to point out one simple fact: drama is stupid, cake is good. This is not aimed at any person or people or cake in particular, merely a point which many should consider before they make a total broccoli out of themselves. Seriously, though, being broccoli sucks. Nobody likes it.

So if ever you were to remember one thing from this post, remember this, dear reader: when faced with the choice of living a good life of cake and happiness or one of stupid drama and broccoli ice cream, do not be a totally heinous ignoramus. 

Choose the cake. It is delicious cake. You must eat it.

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix

1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup warm water

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.

3. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate. If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Tip: Additional toppings can be added. I personally recommend adding a mix of chocolate frosting and chocolate chips onto it with strawberries in the middle.

Yield: 1 12 cup Bundt cake for 12 people

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Too-Much-Chocolate-Cake/Detail.aspx

Awareness 4: Forging Future Paths

It is interesting to think what this all will look like some day. It is even more interesting to speculate how it will get there. The concept of future is, to be sure, an intriguing one, one which fills men with the sort of terrible fear they gape at and bask in.

It is reverent, this future of ours. But at the same time, there are specific paths to this future which, in my most dishonorable opinion, are not worthy of testing to get to this glorious possibility of ours, that vast potential we all dream of where RLSH is common in the mind of man, or at least present in some aspect. That shining new day where we are actually a recognizedly valuable addition to the community of man. But again, there are paths there which I see starting to be tread now which I believe will not lead to this dream of ours.

With an increase in popularity and exposure was sure to come an increase in those who really have yet to understand why we put on our little masks. "Troll" is the common phrase I see for this, and while it is acceptable to question a man for his purpose and reason, to mock for sheer enjoyment and derisive pleasure is, bluntly, rude. I see an influx in many places of people who neither care for helping or for understanding; merely to come and point at the freaks in spandex. We have our villains, and they do a fine job of trolling enough. We do not need pretenders who do the same thing.

I also occasionally wonder as to the validity and purpose of some meet ups. Sure, meeting with other RLSH is always a blast, and helps to give that boost of confidence to get out in the field some of us need. But for some reason I feel like the purpose and intent of many patrols and comings out is being lost. I am not sure if I am alone in this, but it feels sometimes like the more people there are doing this, the more there are who go out just for the sake of going out.

My worry is that patrols will become a fashionable item, something superficial which new RLSH can flout and say I am real, even if their "patrol" was neither involved nor well thought out. I am not saying necessarily that it is happening now, just that it is a worry of mine. To trivialize the safety and protection of the community you set out to defend in order to gain a mere boost in ego and credibility is heinously wrong. If you patrol, it should be with purpose, and it should be thorough, and it should be careful.

I see many say that they have done patrols and done charity work and done so much training and know criminology and are developing fantastic gadgets. What good is development if it never develops something else? We live and work as people who fall under the label of "Real Life Super Hero." That, is a very heavy label to work under, but we should not feel that weight. We should not rest on what can be done, but we should strive and yearn for what should be done. Charity donations are not enough; charity founding is starting  to get there. Patrols fall short; a concerted effort with law enforcement and teams is needed. We must be better than we think we can be, and then go further. This title, this label, this movement, this community demands nothing less than your absolute best. If you are not willing to give it, of course you are still welcome to fall in amongst the ranks. But can you really stay there with that feeling that you may be doing enough and be okay with it? If the answer is no, then it is time to rethink some things about your life and future.

This may sound pretentious. It is a bit. I have not done nearly enough. This is as much a wake up call to others as it is to myself. We all must pull deep down inside ourselves and draw out those last reserves, and put them forth to create new horizons.

The future happens, but not without us. We create our own tomorrow, and if you really want it to be better than what yesterday was, you have to work at it. Our community of costumed citizens must strive to commit themselves to the best, and nothing less. After all, this is what our future should be. If you are not ready to be as good as the future you seek, stop. And think. Come back when you are. We will be waiting.

~~~~~~~

Awareness Challenge 3:
Answer your own complaints. A lot of people like to complain. This is natural. But few think up the answer. The next time you complain, stop, think, and seriously try to come up with what would be the best way to solve the issue you just put forth. RLSH is work, and we must be masters of solving problems, even and especially those we put forth. You must also be willing to think, really think, on the fly. Try doing this exercise. Those of you who actually do post your responses. I know I will.

Stay frosty everyone.

Travel's End

I am back.

A Long Road

We all have times in our lives where we have to step back and just reorganize. This for me is one of them. For a long time, I have felt odd about my role in our community. Combined with the timing of traveling I have decided to take a leave of absence for a few weeks. I will still respond to contacts made, but it may not be immediately.

I have a lot of thinking to do, a lot of time to spend relaxing and focusing, and a lot of focusing that needs to be done with my life. This is by no means permanent. I will still fulfill certain obligations I have to the community.

Be good to each other and try not to be so pointless with the drama. If you are going to cause a ruckus about something, make it about something worthwhile.

I need a break. Sometimes you just have to drive around aimlessly to find what was lost. Maybe that will happen. Anyways, here comes the road. Time to drive for a bit.

Stay frosty everybody.

Shadow on the Sun

Would you like some theme music?

I have had a hard time as of late. It could just be me, but I see stagnation in our community. This could just be a break in the constant drama we usually are consumed in, but I just feel like things are sagging. Maybe this is the summer feel, maybe it is something else.

I just feel hard to be motivated at this point. Down on my spirits if you will. I am working to get the rally organized and trying to do meetups, but there is just this burning itch that says it is not enough, that urges me to go on forward. But I do not feel it.

With the advent of the new Heroes Network comes and opportunity to build. There has been a tremendous amount of influx and reorganizing on RLSH.net as well, but despite this I still just feel that at this point, we have hit a level.

It is a time of regrouping, reorganization, and, in a lot of ways, rest. Many RLSH have retired from public eye, and the private organizations among us are coalescing in their own hidden ways. Meets are being organized, things are on the verge of occurring, but as of right now, I see very little actually happening.

This could just be my interpretation, but I believe that we are seeing a new growth in the way our wacky world works.

In the beginning days, we saw individuals all arising to the same idea: dress up, go out, and help people. With the information age fueling connectivity between people it was not long before we saw groups form. Small, private, and hard working, these groups set the tone and bars of expectation.

It was not long before these small groups gave way to larger groups, and all the drama and fragmentation we have seen from their formation. We saw things go two ways: private and public. One side embraced the idea of individuals, the other of community. Both brought different things to the table, but the fall of these two systems is once again imminent. Why is this so?

We are going mainstream.

Deny it all you want, but interest in whatever the hell you call what we do has risen to popular status. With the exposure brought on by the Mr. Tangen's project, movies, ads, and general interest by the media, we are now stepping out of the shadows into a greater one: that of the public.

RLSH.net alone has seen a tremendous boom in users, and many are staying and contributing. Other sites are springing up, and as I have said before we are all starting new projects and paths it seems. We are at a new age of public involvement with what we do, or at least dangerously close to the cusp of such.

I do not state any opinion with this. This is merely the marking of a growth our lives. It is important to note things, and I believe that if anyone else feels this same stagnate quiet of reorder and growth that I do, then we are at a very interesting time indeed, my friends.

I will post tomorrow about summer patrols. In the meantime, reflect on where we are. As the old saying goes, you have to know where you have been to know where you are going.

Stay frosty.

Awareness 3: Masked Humility

The mask does not make you, you make the mask.

Sometimes in our little community of costumed crazies we sometimes come to think that we deserve more attention and respect than we actually deserve. Let us be very clear: you are a person who is dressing up in homage to fictional cartoon superheroes who goes out and attempts the delusional, yes delusional, fantasy of helping and fixing the world's problem dressed as such. This is what we do. Nothing more, nothing less. Some of us do it better than others, some of us worse. Some of us actually were born to do it, while some are born to destroy what others have created. In the end, however, we all do this same one thing.

Sometimes, however, caught up in our great delusional fantasy we become arrogant, and desire more value of our person than is worth others. And the issue here is desire. Desire poisons that which you try to purify. Have any of it in your life, and it seeps into the vessels of your actions and ruins them.

For those of us with "secret identities" this desire is actually a great temptress, because while great things can be done by anonymous people in masks no one will actually care that you did it. Secrecy is a great tool in our trade, and can be employed and exploited. It helps us to be confident, keeps us out of many troubles, separates a life we wish others to not be involved with. But with secrecy we may also desire the possibility of power. Since no one knows you, you can act as you wish, do as you please, and belittle whomever you desire in your great quest for the greater good.

This is wrong. Again, the whole desire thing eventually ends up corrupting every aspect of your intentions until none are left. But there are times when we are so tempted to reveal, so questioned by everyone around you for your worth and responsibility that you may want to just drop the facade and admit what you do.

The offer is tempting, and the dramatic reveal of it all can be quite exhilarating. It is one of the greatest "up your's." Someone gets into a fight with you about your lack exhibiting anything beyond normal functions, and you have that ace up your sleeve that you know will garner everyone's awe and admiration.

But it is not worth it. If you have chosen to keep your identity secret it is probably for a very good reason, and things done in the moment with such brashness never turn out well. Besides, if you really need your work as a great big Real Life Super Hero to speak for your entire character, then you obviously have a long way to go to fulfilling yourself as a person. Deluded we may be, but help is what we do. And the absolute first person you must always seek to help is yourself. Not at anyone's expense, not for petty desires, but because you want and know you can achieve that "something more" you may dream of.

If you are only noble and great while in the mask of anonymity then you are a fraud, plain and simple. The point of a secret identity should be to experiment and push yourself to new levels. Take the opportunity of being anonymous to really try and be kind. After all, you are not you. You have a blank slate when as an anonymous pseudonym with a mask and spandex. Take the chance to explore what you could be a little, and then take those things that your learn and try putting them in every facet of your life.

Getting back to the humility we all should carry, I would like to put forth a list of tips and things that all RLSH should follow when out working in order to help them stay within the reality of our fantasy, and to keep ourselves humble and others accepting of our cause.

Mr. Jack's Masked Manners

-Always address police officers as "Sir" or "Ma'am." Respect their authority! Show your fellow helpers (including firemen, doctors, technicians, etc.) your sense of respect for their jobs and you will get respect for yours most often. It is not a one hundred percent thing though, but it does help always in the long run.

-Greet people on the street. When out on patrol, say hi to everyone you meet. Make eye contact, smile, and tell them hello or good day. The power of such a simple gesture like a smile or a wave is one that can change worlds. If people see such a friendly figure dressed up, they begin to question their own masks that they wear. Win over your public not for personal desire for fame or the like, but because it will help you get your message across better and be able to help people and open new doors to love.

-Always maintain composure. A lot of things happen when you are out in full gear, and most of them revolve around people trying to put you down or try and break your focus and composure. Part of being on your guard revolves around not allowing things to get under your skin. When I was with Silver Sentinel, Zetaman, Dark Guardian, Meow, Hunter and Tothian in New York one of the biggest things I admired about all of them was how great they were at just letting things roll off their armor. Silver Sentinel is a great example, as he often plays into what people say. Remember "If you are going to tell someone the truth, you'd better make them laugh. Otherwise they'll kill you.

-The customer is always right. In all honesty of you are doing your job right then you are basically the equivalent of a service employee, and as such, you must cater to the customer. I cannot specifically give an example for this because there are so many. If someone wants something, you have to do your best of fulfill it because that is the standard which needs to be held. By all means do what is right, but make it seem like it was the customer's idea. Charisma helps.

-Right is right only when it is nice. Yes people need wake up calls. Yes, people need help to get off the street and be warned about the dangers that fill their life. But think about this for a moment: if you had some guy off the street come up to you and start lecturing you on errors of your way and the virtues of living right would you really instinctively give him your time and listen? Now add in that that guy is dressed in spandex and a cape and calls himself Justice Avenger Supreme. You now see the absurdity of it. Yes, our mandate is to help, but for gods' sakes do not be belligerent and in people's faces unless there is no other way. Rude and noisy should always be a last resort to the virtues of gentle, kind care.

-Hold yourself to the standards you seek of others. If you have unrealistic expectations then you are doomed to fail. In other words, if you think that you can go out and stop crime when you are publicly intoxicated or driving like a maniac or carrying lethal weapons without a permit then you are now the problem others have to help. Lead by example and you will most likely not be questioned for your worth of actions.

-Finally, and this is a small but big thing, look in a mirror when you are dressed up. Yes, it is nice to admire how awesome you look, but this is not my intention for this specific manner. Look in the mirror to see what others will see of you. If you cannot look in the mirror and trust the image you see then neither can anyone else. Appearance is one of the most paramount aspects we should worry about in our community, not again for personal gain, but to be symbols. We wear what we wear to draw attention, to inspire, to help. If you cannot trust who you see in the mirror, change it in someway to make it so you can.

~~~~~~~

Awareness Challenge 2: Think Before You Act

I mean this for every part of your life. Before you take an action, just take a nanosecond and think about what you mean by it, what it will actually do, and how it will be perceived. This sort of thought checking is difficult to maintain for a long time, but with practice it can become second nature. By just slowing down your thought process to "proofread" your action before it happens, you can determine a better course of action for it, which may indeed be the one you had already set. But never underestimate the power of such thought. It may be the difference between you making peace between two people or throwing the first punch. The choice, as always, is your's.

How to Move On

I was talking to a few friends of mine recently, and one whose opinion I have rapidly come to highly value said something which was very poignant in its reality. I have talked a lot about moving on from conflict and not retaliating, saying that in order to heal fully one must press on from conflict and not engage further. 


While this friend agreed they also said that this in practicality is very difficult to deal with when you have people almost constantly trying to drag you back down into the den of conflict and drama. "Salt rubbed on an open wound still stings," as they said.


This is true. But the essence of pacifism is not that you are to avoid pain. Pain and suffering are will always try to batter down the walls of your happiness. Pacifism is painful, trust me. But the key, the real key to unlocking a better way, is to not react.


In other words:

This is much, much easier said than done, especially when our fight instinct is telling us that we could win if we tried. But that is the trap of it. If we give into that instinct to react in a hurtful way, the person who is originally causing the pain then wins. They have effectively gotten the response which they desired, and have thus transformed you into the aggressor.


Nothing in life is fair. No one ever said it should be, had to be, or needs to be. By getting even, you only involve yourself and make yourself into no better than the person who attacked. This is not a world where getting even is our motivation for life. That path leads to destruction.


Our goal, ultimately everyone's goal, is to live a good and happy life which they can enjoy doing the things they love. We all want happiness. But the false and temporary happiness gained from aggression and response to violence never lasts and never leads to anywhere better than more suffering.


Never.


This is the path of true pacifism, and one which is much harder walked than said. I do not ask others to follow this, but it is one which I will be talking about more and more, as it is the only path I can see that really works the best.


As said, there will always be suffering, always someone to take umbrage against your actions, always someone who, for whatever reason, decided to pick on you, whether it is justified or not. The only thing you can do is live truthfully, bear the pain, and not let it hurt anyone else. And there is a lot of pain in this little world of ours. But it is like the old saying goes:

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups white sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice


Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.
2. Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp. In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water.


Yield: 20 4 oz. servings

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Lemonade-Ever/Detail.aspx

Behind the Mask: Family Through and Through

RLSH means a lot to me, as does theRLSH.net forum and the friends I have made there and elsewhere. In times of great need I have turned to the people I have met there for help and they have always done so. Executrix and Thanatos both helped me out early on when I was still getting my feet secure, and Zetaman, Meow, and Dark Guardian have all been wonderful influences. Minuteman is always a joker and always there to listen, my brother along with Anonyman, who despite his age is very clearly one of the best reasons why what we do as RLSH works. Silver Sentinel and Golden Valkyrie have also been indispensable in their help. Silver is my surrogate father, and Valkyrie my best friend-who-is-a-girl.


If I had to list all of the people who have influenced me so thoroughly in this wild fantasy of comic books sprung to life, this entry would be about 300 names long. I know others may not consider this of me, but I very much consider each and every member of our community part of my family. We all have such potential we can contribute, and it has lifted me up in the dark times I have had in the last year.


I have my own issues, and it has taken a lot for me to work through them. I still am. Each member of this family, my family, has helped in so many unique ways to my life, and so I just wanted to take a moment and thank each and every one of you, whether or not you may ever read this.


You have taught me to love, to laugh, to cry and be okay about it, to stand strong, to hold on, to never give up hope. My family has taught me to be kind, try to understand, be open, and be informed, to listen, to speak, to defend, and to rest. There is so much that you, my family, have given me. Whenever I need to find a comfortable place in the world full of the finest people I know I don the mask and come to you.


I know we fight. I know there are many who would deny my claim to kinship with me. I know that we say and do horrible things to each other, sometimes for no purpose, sometimes for a misguided purpose, and sometimes with a very hard purpose. But I accept that. All families have their own problems, and ours is no different. I forgive you, and I know I can be harsh and domineering and even pretentious sometimes, but I hope that you can find it in you to give the same forgiveness to me.


Because at the end of the day, we are still family. Love which can truly unite, and if we all just could take a second, recognize that, and try for it, I think we can do even greater things.


My brothers, my sisters, my aunts and uncles, all my family, I love you. Truly. As cheesy and as pathetic as that may be, I do mean it. Because without you there would not only not be a Mr. Jack.


There would not be me.


~~~~~~~


Vita, amor et veritas. 

Stay frosty, my friends.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Tothian has been banned, and Superhero and Silver Sentinel have both left the therlsh.net. It is an interesting day and age in which we live when we miss the presence of people whom we have never met. Now, this is a bit of a lie on my account, but the majority of the people here have never met these people in what we call "real life." Their existence has only ever been relayed through code, waves, and cables. Technically speaking, they could entirely be figments of our imagination. They are, however, not.

We are all people. We have lives that intersect with so many paths of life that we could never hope to fathom them. The roads we individually take all lead different places, but often times on those roads you have company. This company changes over time, as new paths are found and forged, and others are ended. In our dedication to our own path, we must no forget the roads we have crossed, and the paths that have lead us here. And above all, we must never forget the people who walked them.

Tothian will be back, and both Silver Sentinel and Superhero are still very much around and active. We sometimes forget about the world outside our digital confines, and we must realize that while in these hollow halls of numbered words and unknown friends, the person on the other side is still just that: a person. Choose to interact, choose to engage, choose to live. There is so much time spent in our lives that could be spent doing something better, and even that time can be found to be for a better cause latter. It is our manifest as humans to exercise that choice to the fullest extent.

Times change, and so do we. In this, our time of greater exposure and new faces, in this our time of experienced grounding and life fulfilling, in this our time of reaching the end and ending, we are all together. So let us be.

Some Super Advice on the Point of Relationships

People need experience, not with serving one another and servicing them, but they need exposure to love. Love is a universal thing, and while some love is eternal, we all need experience with the fleeting to truly appreciate that which ends up persisting.

I have entered into relationships sheerly for pleasure. A fling. Was it fun? Yes. Did I learn things about love that I did not know before? Yes. Did I know it would not last? Yes. Am I a better and stronger person for it? Absolutely.

Saying that you should only dedicate yourself to one woman and one man is, while virtuous, completely impractical and unrealistic. You need experience, and to do that, you need to share love. Love is not a thing to be selfishly guarded by a 'godly' couple in a self-righteous fashion.

Why?

Because it is pride, it is ego, and it is just spiteful. Give your love, and your love will give back.

Love does not always work forever. People have falling outs, but in these times it is not a book of proverbs or a godly spirit which will keep them together and truly happy, but remembering why they truly fell in love with one another in the first place.

I am not defending divorce. If you divorce, you probably should not have gotten married in the first place. But to be honest we can not say for everyone, because the whole world is unique and each situation must be approached for what it is, not what something else is.

While things like the Bible and self-help books do help in times of need for advice, quoting them and living by only those sorts of advices does not make you smarter in the ways of love. And all it really tends to do is raise up your arrogance and ego in an unrealistic way. People who have truly studied these words and practiced them for years can talk with such a positions, but it is still avarice and arrogance and should not be practiced. When you allow your words and study to become your actions, then you do what is truly intended by these books and ideas.

Love, above all, is to be shared. Whether by man and woman, woman and woman, man and man, or many different combinations in varying numbers.

But the point of love, true, absolute, splendid love, is not to be godly and selfish with it. The point of love is spreading the true happiness which emanates from the presence of your union with your fellow man. This type of love shines like a beacon and fills all the facets of your life with warmth that touches people and inspires them to do the same.

But getting there is a long path. And it is not filled with you setting yourself up for failure by only dating people you will marry. This is not to say excessive, slutty whoring is the way to find true love. You must choose what helps you grow, as any good person. Devote yourself to finding the love you have for everyone and it will be returned in the most wonderful of ways.

You will not find love in the pages of a book, only the suggestion of it. Stop reading, stop watching TV, stop wasting your life, and instead think about how you can love other people.

It begins simply.

Instead of making comments about how bad a person looks, take time out of your day to compliment people about how well they did something, or how nice they look today. If you compliment others, then you are brightened as well. Trust me, it works.

Do not pigeon hole yourself when looking for one type of romance. Do not say "I want a boy who drives a fast car and has sexy hair" because that is limiting, and when the boy who comes along and really cares about you with all his heart, you may not see him. This goes for men too. In love, never limit, always open.

Just because someone does not agree with you or do the same things as you or like the same things as you does not mean that love cannot thrive between you two. My girlfriend and I are very different people, but our two year anniversary is coming up soon, and I still love her more and more each day than I ever thought could be possible.

You must allow yourself to fall into love. Often when you actively seek love, you smolder it with expectations, as I have stated. So allow it to come to you. When someone asks you on a date, do not stick your nose up and say "you are not the person I will marry," and then turn them down. Say yes. Fine, so you may not merry them. But your night of possible happiness will allow you to grow in your love and experience. And even if it was terrible you can still look back, laugh at it, and grow from the mistake it was.

Love is about finding the way to make everyone happier. It, like most of life, is a passage of growth that will ultimately shine out to those around you as well as between the romance you breath into your own life. When you allow yourself to truly love, not in a Christian, or Muslim, or arranged, or loose way, but truly find the love in each person you come across, then the real romance of your life will open up. No matter what course love takes you, if you are happy, then that is your path.

People must have experience to grow. So stop limiting yourself, get out there, meet people, and love.

Love, and you will prosper.

Awareness 2: The Other Person

We are all people.

Most of us seem to forget this, and in our ignorance we demean our humanity. If we hurt another, we hurt ourselves, because ultimately, no matter what excuse is given, what justification used, what reason employed, you have just hurt another person who is at their base exactly like you.

Look in another's mirror, and see not yourself, but them. We must see ourselves in the other person to truly understand how to act. This awareness of our humanity is absolutely essential to all human beings. It helps us to understand our brother's and sister's actions, and helps to put in perspective their views.

Because while at our base we are all the same, we all walk very different paths to realizing how me can fulfill our potential. When anger flares, and tempers rise, we must step back, look in that other person's mirror, and realize that it is we who are standing there.

Empathy is only a fraction of this. Because not only must we understand the other person, but also live them. To truly give compassion, and I cannot stress this enough, we must first show it.

We are all people, and in our differences we often cross each other. The fires of being attacked flare, and we react with the hate we are shown. The golden rule at its worst. Reach not for that which you have been shown, but that which you have dreamt of. If the other person is you, you must think what you would want to have done for you in that situation. This is not about weakness, for in our compassion we are building, and creation is the strongest of all forces.

Sometimes, we stare at the mirror, and project ourselves there even though we know we should not. We must become our enemy, for ultimately, they are our friend. If we hate another so deeply, then we only hate ourselves, and in that hate we bring on fear and weakness and desire and anger and all the vices of a person solely contained within "I."

It is not about me, but about you. This mentality and mindset will calm you in the deepest throes of anguish. When we stop in our lives to really remember to look in the mirror and see the reflection of you, we remember our respect, and become accountable for all.

Responsibility is big, and it does not come immediately. It comes from building with you, and when you begin to realize that you are me, then we can really begin to build something wondrous.

Think of the reflection of you, not your I, but the you you see in others. When we take a simple break to think of why we are the other person, we realize that everyone is an other person. And in doing so, we begin to sew the seeds of calm, compassionate understanding.

~~~~~~

Awareness Challenge 1: Compliment Freely.

Find different ways to encourage those you know. Show them the respect you think they deserve. When you see a person do something you like, tell them. If someone you know has just accomplished something big or done something great, let them know, even if you do not like them. Shake their hand, if it is so appropriate. Give compliments and smiles. Maybe even a hug, if you think it is to be deserved. These simple acts of kind acknowledgement can really brighten a person's day and disposition. Be genuine in your wishes, however. Faked love is not love. Do this, show this little compassion that all people enjoy and people will begin to see that other person in you.

Escalation

http://reallifesuperheroes.org/archives/3855

Read it. Because as much fun as it is to be a real life super villain this is often what it inspires. Now, I doubt the people of R.O.A.C.H. actually had anything to do with it, but if someone did then there is serious trouble brewing in our community.

It is at times like this when we need to remember one thing, though, and that is our clarity of mind. Escalation in anything is a dangerous path to walk, and when you start down that road it can end up destroying a person. If we, as a community, seek retribution and start antagonizing our villainous friends for something they probably have little connection to, then we become our own enemy. I look at the posts people have made from within our community, talking about anger, talking about revenge, and I can already see trouble brewing. Because the point of this attack is a response.

This is how escalation is played. One person baits another via an attack, in order to see how far they are willing to go to retaliate. If we retaliate and act out against our friends in R.O.A.C.H. then the person who has done this crime will have succeeded in doing what they wished to accomplish.

Whether a member of R.O.A.C.H. did this or not should not change how we treat them. The people I have talked to have no connection or knowledge of the event, and are good people who only want to make us better. We need them, and they need us. We are a community, and we should not use this as an excuse to further draw apart.

Gone are the times of petty arguing and anger. This is an attack against R.O.A.C.H. as much as it is against the RLSH, and we all will know that. For now is a time of understanding and solidarity in the face of some jackass who thought they could tear us apart.

We are people who help, anyway you look at it. Give into the desired escalation, and we destroy, not create. Let us rise up, solve this crime, and remember who we are.

Let us unite.

Comings and Goings

We are a very small community. There are many people who come to the various forums and sites and networking places claiming to be a part of this movement. In total, I would probably guess just under 1000 in the history of our little movement. At the most, though, our numbers can be placed around 400 active RLSH that have ever been in existence. The continued activity of these individuals is highly questionable in most cases, however, and so the actual number of RLSH in existence and consistently active with patrols, charity, activism and our various other good deeds is around 250 or so.

Let me again say that we are a very small community. But the point I am trying to make is not about the actual community, but the thousand or so less who claim to be a part of it.

You see them everyday in your digital world: the person that comes in, maybe stays for a little bit, then vanishes. There are many people that approach our community but go no further with attempting any sort of contact. And I find this sad, and on some level a personal issue I think we all need to address.

Apathy is our greatest foe. And it is a wily one to be sure. It is very hard to get people to do something so out of the norm as this, and even harder to keep them doing it. RLSH work can be a boring and thankless job. It is no different than anything else, but the psychological hype people create around it leads to certain expectations. People automatically assume that when they finally work up the courage to talk to the community that respect and admiration will automatically pour in for them merely because they are an RLSH. While I think we all are (ideally) welcoming, helpful and respectful of all new members to our community, I think most would agree that it takes a lot to earn a name and the respect that goes with that.

In this community, experience and contribution is everything, as our ultimate goal is to help. There are plenty of people who claim to do this, but few follow through with actually doing this. I have been guilty of this myself, and know that I deserve very little respect or acknowledgement of my existence because of this.

This is not a bad thing, however, it merely is. This community is about improvement and making an impact, and it takes a lot to make an impact on people who make it themselves.This is the fundamental reason why people can get over the threshold of the initial introduction but then fail to follow through: expectation. Because like it or not, many RLSH expect that in order for you to be a contributing member worthy of their respect and acknowledgement as a peer you must essentially prove yourself. It is easy for people to say something, but much harder for them to live it.

So we see people come and go almost daily, and definitely weekly in our online doings. Names come, and then fade. It is the ones who persist and stay that continue to draw our attention and garner our respect, even if they decline in actual work, mere presence then dictates a certain amount of respect.

It takes time to join a family like ours, and most people think that once they introduce or make contact that they will be accepted. This, unfortunately, is not the truth. While I would like it to be, I realize that RLSH work is not for everyone. And it is indeed sad to know that some are chased away by our expectations once they become known.

But this is not necessarily true of today. Our community is making great strides in acceptance, and more people than ever are taking up the call and staying. A different feel has come about, one which is more forgiving and understanding. And even though there will be ones who leave we can take solace in one fact: that they have been touched.

When you come onto something like the RLSH, your life changes. To know that there are actually people out there working to make lives better in such a strange way changes the way people think about life. They begin, I hope, to see what they can do in their own lives to improve things. This is, of course, an ideal situation, but still one which I believe does happen often.

Ideas are a very lasting action upon people, and ideas such as this have a great potential for such profound effects. If there is one expectation we must all have, is is that our wishes to make things better will take time. We all start out as the small voice stepping into a world with preconceived notions of spandex and bad guys, but with time that impression fades to be replaced by the truth: that we are people who want something better for all of us.

Whether you stay or go, rise to fame or fall into forgotten obscurity, take with you the knowledge that even though you may not be remembered for it, you can make a difference. And that is what really counts.