Can You Handle Being Called Crazy? Can You Handle Being Called Stupid? Can You Handle Being Called Crazy Stupid?! 🤣

[seoulsearch]

Are you kidding? Who wouldn't respond to 10 pages of crazy stupid rantings and ravings?!

The basic gist of my letter was that I started with the story of how, at 14, I noticed one of his books on a classmate's desk at school... and I have been hooked ever since (now being very far removed from age 14 -- although mentally... arguably not that much!)

I began my letter by saying, "Have you ever written to one of your life hero's? And the thought of even choosing a font to write in has you nervous at the thought of causing offense?" (I then went on to say that I am one of those closeted writing demons who actually LIKES "Comic Sans," which I acknowledged might make him want to stop reading then and there!)

Mr. Koontz has a fascinating story. He was born dirt poor in a shack (no utilities until he was 11) to a loving mother and a violent, alcoholic father who was, in his last years of life, diagnosed as a sociopath (he had tried to stab Mr. Koontz to death twice.)

People all his life thought he would turn into his father, but he usurped them all, and I love a good underdog story. He's been married to his wife for almost 60 years, and always credits her for his writing career. They are very involved with charities for the differently-abled and special needs communities.

And he has a wonderful, self-deprecating sense of humor that he displays in his monthly newsletters to the fans. I've also listened to a few podcasts in which he stayed far longer than what was agreed upon to answer the questions from their paid viewers, because he knows they survive on those donations.

He's just an all-around fantastic person and I have been taking notes on his books that I've been reading for the past 8 months. My letter was a breakdown of why they affected me so much, and a big thank-you for his tremendous body of work.

I also told him that I remember reading an interview with him in the 1990's (Mr. Koontz is 79 now,) in which his father always told everyone that he was "a little on the small side" but that all Mr. Dean had to do was grow X number of inches taller and gain X number of pounds," and that he would be an NFL star. His father would accept nothing less.

And Mr. Dean wrote that this made him feel like he was X number of inches short, and X number of pounds shy of ever being able to be seen as a son. At the time, that interview brought me to tears.

I cited that article, and wrote to Mr. Dean, "But what you have become has been so much more," and I then went on to list the many, many qualities I find so inspiring about his life (and his faith in God.)

He is also a devout Catholic, and he weaves faith into a good number of his stories.

From his interviews, I have great hope that he believes in Jesus as his Savior, and I hope that one day, I will be able to talk to him and his wife in heaven.

 

[Magenta]

Insensitive is about crazy stupid love...

I looked at a list of books by Dean, but it is too long. I know I have read something of his but could not
tell you which one/s it was. Surely nothing recent. His birthday was earlier this month! So he is now 80.

 

[Mem]

The basic gist of my letter was that I started with the story of how, at 14, I noticed one of his books on a classmate's desk at school... and I have been hooked ever since (now being very far removed from age 14 -- although mentally... arguably not that much!)

I began my letter by saying, "Have you ever written to one of your life hero's? And the thought of even choosing a font to write in has you nervous at the thought of causing offense?" (I then went on to say that I am one of those closeted writing demons who actually LIKES "Comic Sans," which I acknowledged might make him want to stop reading then and there!)

Mr. Koontz has a fascinating story. He was born dirt poor in a shack (no utilities until he was 11) to a loving mother and a violent, alcoholic father who was, in his last years of life, diagnosed as a sociopath (he had tried to stab Mr. Koontz to death twice.)

People all his life thought he would turn into his father, but he usurped them all, and I love a good underdog story. He's been married to his wife for almost 60 years, and always credits her for his writing career. They are very involved with charities for the differently-abled and special needs communities.

And he has a wonderful, self-deprecating sense of humor that he displays in his monthly newsletters to the fans. I've also listened to a few podcasts in which he stayed far longer than what was agreed upon to answer the questions from their paid viewers, because he knows they survive on those donations.

He's just an all-around fantastic person and I have been taking notes on his books that I've been reading for the past 8 months. My letter was a breakdown of why they affected me so much, and a big thank-you for his tremendous body of work.

I also told him that I remember reading an interview with him in the 1990's (Mr. Koontz is 79 now,) in which his father always told everyone that he was "a little on the small side" but that all Mr. Dean had to do was grow X number of inches taller and gain X number of pounds," and that he would be an NFL star. His father would accept nothing less.

And Mr. Dean wrote that this made him feel like he was X number of inches short, and X number of pounds shy of ever being able to be seen as a son. At the time, that interview brought me to tears.

I cited that article, and wrote to Mr. Dean, "But what you have become has been so much more," and I then went on to list the many, many qualities I find so inspiring about his life (and his faith in God.)

He is also a devout Catholic, and he weaves faith into a good number of his stories.

From his interviews, I have great hope that he believes in Jesus as his Savior, and I hope that one day, I will be able to talk to him and his wife in heaven.

It must've been 30 years ago, given the date on the copy the book club I subscribed to had sent me, Kean Koontz' Intensity. I read the jacket for a refresher, as I really only vaguely remember the heroine stowing away in the villain's RV camper. And I read the last page to note how he ended with, "It is the purpose for which we exist. This reckless caring."
Earlier, I had consider writing that Jesus might be considered crazy genius, because I couldn't bring myself to ever calling Him the other thing, and supposed that is exactly what would be need in order to take on the 'intensity' on the side of darkness. And, although I really haven't picked up any novels in quite some time, I have always considered it a good find if I happened to note a faith woven into the stories. I think more so than those stories where it is explicitly present. To me, those come through a bit campy or while the former expresses it in a 'matter of fact' manner, as if it's something as natural as breathing.

 

[Edith]

YOU ACTUALLY READ THE THREAD!

I don't know if you know how rare this is. Many people comment in a thread based solely on the thread title, without even bothering to read the first post. In fact you may be the only person so far who realized this thread was about what people call you when you are in love.

Well... I mean... seoul knows what the thread is about, of course. But she made the thread so that doesn't count.

Thank you dear

 

[Edith]

At this moment, I'm not sure what the thread title even is. I usually read the OP to get a sense on what the thread is about.

Now, I usually don't read each and every post but generally chime in in certain posts along the way. I will say though that @seoulsearch creates the most interesting threads by far. The effort she puts in on creating and maintaining the conversation flow provides a means to really get to know who the members are and what they are about.

She is a tremendous asset to this site. By the way, you are too. Just thought that I would put that out there.

I keep wondering if Seoul and lynx are the admins but I won't say that loud

 

[Lynx]

I keep wondering if Seoul and lynx are the admins but I won't say that loud

I wouldn't be responsible for this asylum if you paid me.

I'm not even a manager at my job. I like being a regular employee who doesn't have to care if the freezer stops working or somebody called out sick.

So I will never, ever, ever be a moderator or admin here. It's just not worth the trouble.

 

[Lynx]

Hey Everyone!

I've mentioned that I'm in a small "Keep-In-Touch" chat of people I've met in person from CC...

This morning we had a brief mention of what it's like to be "twitterpated" (a reference to Disney's movie "Bambi" -- Google defines it as being "infatuated or obsessed" -- and one member commented that "twitterpation" sometimes makes people "crazy stupid."

I thought about this for a minute.

I mean, sure. I more than fit the bill. But was I ready to actually ADMIT that?!

Rather, I told the group, "Look. I can handle being called 'crazy.' I can handle being called 'stupid.' But I'm not sure I can handle being called BOTH 'crazy' AND 'stupid' at the same time!!"

Disclaimer: There are, and will be, many times when I am INDEED both crazy and stupid at the same time. It's just that, I'm not sure (especially for legal reasons!) I should admit to being too many things all at once.

What about you?

Just for fun, I'm going to post a poll that allows multiple answers that can be seen by the audience. Go on over and take a gander at the poll, the come back and tell us why you chose those answers!

Then be sure to tell us:

* What are some "crazy", "stupid", and "crazy stupid" things YOU have done as a result of being "twitterpated" over someone?!

Right after I made my first post in this thread, I typed out a second post to actually answer the main question you were asking... Aaaaaaaaaand the forum froze. So I waited. And waited. And finally gave up and went to bed.

So to answer your question: This question implies I have found my lady, the love of my life. I seriously doubt I will care anything about what anybody calls me.


And the forum froze AGAIN! Either I am only allowed one post per half hour now, or I am no longer allowed to answer a seoul question. Grrrr... Let's hit "Post reply" one more time and see if it actually goes through this time.

 

[Texasgal]

The same thing happened to me. Froze up like a deer the moment before it becomes roadkill. Maybe Seoulsearch has put a limit on how many posts we are allowed to make in her threads?

 

[Lynx]

I wouldn't put it past her... But that would be directly antithetical to her primary objective. =^.^=

 

[Texasgal]

I wouldn't put it past her... But that would be directly antithetical to her primary objective. =^.^=

Yeah…you’re right, it would.

 

[seoulsearch]

I keep wondering if Seoul and lynx are the admins but I won't say that loud

Lol!

I've been asked this a lot over the years, but no, I am not, have not ever been, and (if I can help it,) will not ever be a moderator. I do, however, have people who sometimes come to me for help with problems they're having on the forum, and I encourage them to go to an actual moderator. (If it doesn't involve me directly, I tell them they have to go to a mod and tell their own story. If I don't have direct experience with the situation and have no proof, then I would just be gossiping.)

I can freely admit that I tend to "police" my OWN threads, but I can't imagine the stress of having to try to referee anyone else's.

I always like to tell the story of a guy years ago who accused me of something, so I just posted and asked everyone who was reading along to report my posts that contained what he was accusing me of. Regular posters said they didn't see anything, and I guess I wasn't reported as causing TOO much trouble because I'm still here.

This guy made a big deal about how he was putting me on his Ignore List -- and then guess who was the first poster in the next of threads I wrote, every single time. It was such a hoot! But I wasn't the only one he was making false accusations against, and it didn't take long before he was banned.

For my own threads, I've found the best way to deal with trolls is to keep on writing. I've always said that the forum is like a maze, and writing threads creates new wings in the maze. If you keep writing, trouble makers usually can't keep up and fall away.

Eventually, some people show themselves and get banned, while those who stay understandably get bored with anything I have to say and move on.

I know it's no guarantee, but so far, this method has had a 100% success rate.

 

[seoulsearch]

The same thing happened to me. Froze up like a deer the moment before it becomes roadkill. Maybe Seoulsearch has put a limit on how many posts we are allowed to make in her threads?

Lol!!

Most of the people in Singles write such interesting posts, I could read them all day. Who would want to ever put a limit on that?!

However, if it's someone stirring up trouble (I mean, WE all like stirring up trouble, but there are some kinds of trouble even WE don't want to see,) I tend to... STRONGLY "encourage" them to seek other places in the forum that will better suit their objectives.

 

[seoulsearch]

It must've been 30 years ago, given the date on the copy the book club I subscribed to had sent me, Kean Koontz' Intensity. I read the jacket for a refresher, as I really only vaguely remember the heroine stowing away in the villain's RV camper. And I read the last page to note how he ended with, "It is the purpose for which we exist. This reckless caring."
Earlier, I had consider writing that Jesus might be considered crazy genius, because I couldn't bring myself to ever calling Him the other thing, and supposed that is exactly what would be need in order to take on the 'intensity' on the side of darkness. And, although I really haven't picked up any novels in quite some time, I have always considered it a good find if I happened to note a faith woven into the stories. I think more so than those stories where it is explicitly present. To me, those come through a bit campy or while the former expresses it in a 'matter of fact' manner, as if it's something as natural as breathing.

"Intensity" is definitely one of his most popular books, though I have to admit, that one didn't resonate with me as much.

For those who haven't read "Intensity," it's the story of a young woman who, by chance, comes across a serial killer. She has a chance to escape his clutches and walk away without him knowing, but when she overhears that he is holding a young girl prisoner in an unknown location, she fears authorities won't find her in time, and stows away in his motor home to try to rescue the girl herself.

Mr. Koontz's stories always have an element of hope, usually in the form of good people who are willing to take on evil, even if it costs them everything.

Here are two passages from other recent reads that really got to me.

"Saint Odd" -- A young man is trying to stop a ruthless cult from endangering his home town. He has an older female benefactor who is like an aunt to him, and this is how her face is described:

"Her soft skin hadn't wrinkled randomly, hadn't puckered her face in unflattering ways; every line seemed to have been designed to maintain a gentle and genteel countenance and to have been executed by a seamstress to royalty."

As a woman who is getting a bit older herself and who has dabbled in sewing all her life, I loved this description!

And this is probably my most favorite line I've ever read in a non-Biblical book:

"The House at the End of the World" has a chapter titled, "An Artist is a Mathematician Who Knows the Formulas of the Soul."

I get chills every time I read it.

I wish I could find this passage made into a beautiful painting in a home goods store, so I could display it in my home.

 

[Lynx]

There are places where you can get such things custom made. Not even expensive these days.

 

[seoulsearch]

I looked at a list of books by Dean, but it is too long. I know I have read something of his but could not tell you which one/s it was. Surely nothing recent. His birthday was earlier this month! So he is now 80.

Oh my goodness!!

I had no idea when his birthday was!!! What kind of crazed and obsessive fan am I if I don't even know Mr. Koontz's birthday?!

I'll have to include a joke about that in my thank-you letter (thank you, Magenta!) which is currently up to 6 pages.

One of the things I learned when I wrote prison inmates -- often ones with LWOP (life without parole and no hope of ever getting out) -- is that they really liked hearing about everyday life. So I learned to take everyday events, whether at work, church, or going to the grocery store -- weave in a little humor, and tell them like a story. This is why my letters -- and my posts -- are so long. It's a skill set I'm always testing out and trying to hone.

In my thank-you letter to Mr. Koontz, I mention that I was hoping to find a thank-you card with a dog on it, particularly a golden retriever. The Koontz's are big supporter of an organization that trains and provides service dogs to the differently-abled, and have adopted 3 goldens who had "career changes" (had to leave the program for various reasons.)

They believe their first dog especially was a direct gift from God.

So I wrote about my frustration in finding that EVERY OTHER kind of card seemed to have dogs on them -- birthday cards. Graduation cards. Save-The-Whales cards. But not a single thank-you card with a dog!! Then I wrote, "Ok, so I didn't REALLY see a 'Save-The-Whales card with a DOG on it, but it sure did FEEL that way!"

I'll be sure to include that I must be a pretty lousy obsessive fan since I didn't even realize that Mr. Koontz's birthday had just passed -- and that maybe I SHOULD have picked up one of those birthday cards with a dog on it after all.

 

[seoulsearch]

There are places where you can get such things custom made. Not even expensive these days.

I have been thinking about it, if I could find a site I trusted and a price I can fit into my budget.

Maybe I'll get lucky and God will connect me with a talented calligraphist and painter that I can support.

 

[seoulsearch]

I wish I had this way with words. To wiggle them around in my sentences like they were dogs on a leash. My texts, they are like lazy cats sleeping next to the fireplace.

But you DO have a way with words, Susanna!!

This very post shows your talent in spades.

I love the idea of words sometimes being like dogs trying to break from restraints, or sometimes just a bundle of lazy, sleeping cats.

 

[Magenta]

I have been thinking about it, if I could find a site I trusted and a price I can fit into my budget.

Maybe I'll get lucky and God will connect me with a talented calligraphist and painter that I can support.

Doesn't Melita do calligraphy?

 

[seoulsearch]

Doesn't Melita do calligraphy?

Excellent question...

Thanks very much for mentioning this!

 

[Tall_Timbers]

At first, I was discouraged, but now, I actually look forward to seeing some of the more... hastily-made replies. Especially the ones where they don't understand what's going on but blast their way into the thread... Instead of asking, they're kicking down doors, throwing assumptions like Frisbees, and making sure everyone can see their Biblical Bazooka's Blazing...

Ack! I'm found out!