So, in the last 3 or 4 weeks, I’ve been kinda busy with Guild Website stuff, and some Guild Admin in general. It’s a funny thing. I put forward an easy 200% more care and effort into that than into my lame arsed job. And I’m not sure that’s a good thing; in fact, I know it isn’t. But after some retrospection, I’m not about to change that. In the right light, from the right perspective, it’s actually therapeutic.
See, for a while there, I was getting frustrated. Guildies breaking guild rules, Officers not giving a damn, Officers breaking rules, lack of participation in Guild affairs, and a pile of website related issues that I’d set for myself or been asked to handle. I was getting a little overwhelmed, and since I cared about it all, and it was fun to work on (initially), I started to feel like quitting. If i was ‘working’ this hard and so few people gave a damn, if I was active in guild affairs and it made so little difference to the general apathy and crap attitude of so many guildies, then what was I doing it for? It was an added stress i just didn’t need.
But, just in the nick of time, I realized that there was a very good reason to keep at it. And that is this: it WAS fun, initially, and I DO enjoy this kind of ‘work’. I don’t get much satisfaction at my real job, and zero chance to put my creativity and savvy to work at home. Working for the guild, even if I’m the ONLY person who sees it or cares, provides just as much relief to me as playing the game itself. The game is pure entertainment, and this background stuff is like work-roleplay. It’s filling a void, I guess.
Heck, I’d love to get that great feeling of accomplishment at work, where I’m getting paid. I’d love to get paid for blogging and skinning and sitting on an Officer’s panel and all the ‘Fun’ stuff I do here behind the scenes… But even without pay or recognition, the fact is I still enjoy it.
So, rather than be frustrated that guildies can be tools, and rather than get bogged down in make-work projects on the site, I’ve decided to play it all at face value. I like it, so I’m doing it.
BOgre's myDDO 
🙂 maybe you need to find another job? Life’s too short to waste it on things that make you unhappy.
I’ll second Micki 🙂
Also second Micky. You only get 1 shot at it. I guess that you want to have a satified feeling when you see the end credits scrolling like everybody else.
A LITTLE drama isn’t bad. But I agree with others in keeping the fun alive. Something to note: a guild that doesn’t want to act unified and work as a guild, isn’t.
Baz, I’m glad Monty’s has gems like you who DO care about making the guild better. And BTW the website RAWKS, and thank you for that.
I definitely get what you’re saying about doing it for fun and screw the rest. On the other hand, @Spencer, I unfortunately really see your point too. The problem we’re having is three or four officers who blatantly ignore the rules and, when asked to comply, instead of listening to why certain rules need to be followed, they either ignore it, lie about it, launch personal attacks on others, make excuse after excuse, or basically say, “I’m not gonna do it and you can’t make me.”
After our last officers’ meeting I decided that for now I’m going to try to take Baz’s approach. As anyone who’s ever been a parent, babysitter, teacher, day care provider, etc., can attest, once it gets to name-calling and “You can’t make me,” there’s no sense trying to use reason because it just won’t work.
Cheers to you, very nice post.
“Find another job” is a pretty simplistic answer. I live in a town of 140 people. There are 4 businesses. The closest city is an 60 miles away. Real Estate movement in the region is stagnant. Where do you all suggest I ‘find a better job’? Like 99% of the population of the planet, I’m taking what I can get, and lucky there’s SOMEthing to take at that. Those of you who think we are all ‘Free’ to do anything we want to in life are fooling yourselves. There exist traps in life, like poverty, and no amount of amition, desire, hard work, or luck can serve to free a person. Your choices boil down to playing the hand you’re given and finding happiness in the little things, or simply giving up and dying.
I’m not trying to be Dramatic. It’s real life people.
I’m sorry. But happiness isn’t something that comes to you, it’s something you work your ass off to get. Of course, some people are dealt crappier cards than others, and really don’t have a choice. I do not think you’re one of those, especially since you’re building websites and are playing ddo. If doing websites is something you enjoy, how about starting your own business doing just that (unless that’s already your current job)? There are a lot of things you can do with an internet connection and some imagination.