Turn the page .. next chapter
Man, what a crazy mess that all was.. ..... well, still is for those still dealing with it in a court of law.
Few years ago, I started getting tired of the BS .. so I began pulling back, only to get sucked back in ( added back into groups, etc). But mentally .. I was slowly pulling back. Began questioning things in their current state, wondering how I got pulled in initially. Spent too much time thinking it all over..... Good news is most of that is in the rear view mirror.
Have to admit, never saw the current state of affairs occurring. I remember when I made the decision to draw the line and the knee jerk reaction that occurred, and the blame game began. To avert blame, I was now part of some rhetorical MC, so I embraced it and ran with with it. The more I embraced it, the more clearly I saw things. Soon, a small herd of followers and/or haters ( depending on your side of the line) emerged and sparks began to fly. Folks came out of the woodwork with their own stories.... their thoughts .. their experiences. Suddenly, you realize it wasn't just yourself , but dozens. Hell, maybe hundreds. We'll never know.
When I drew that line, I pointed out something I'd said for years. That a virtual group .... that tied to a riding group ... was simply an extension of a business to raise revenue. Simple as that. Hell, I'd been saying it for years, just this time ... I stood my ground. And this group had become entwined with an annual event, that was gaining momentum among a small enclave of riders of a specific brand. Problem was, this event had a high cost compared to other events around the country. Then compare the funds ingested vs the funds that outputted to the advertised cause, and the math didn't add up. The kicker for me was that personally, I never questioned how the funds were spent, just that there was no transparency. My personal feeling was that egos' had become entwined with the event and it was no longer really about, what it was originally started to be. Simple as that. Me personally, I just wanted to see a breakout of the funds, where they went. Nothing more, nothing less But, it took on a life of it's own. Many felt the funds were being allocated incorrectly. Used incorrectly. Maybe .... just maybe... for personal use. After the way the whole quagmire played out, I myself was starting to wonder about this piece.
Now, the page turns. I don't even know what page we're on.. what chapter we're on. For the most part, I'd put the book down, but when your phone lights up with screen shots, you've got to open the book again and try and remember which page you were on. But the problem is when you've lost interest in the book ... the plot.. the characters . .. all of it.
I lost interest when I realized the truth was mired in a spin.... a downward spiral. So many questions... so many lies .. so many different versions. The legal process that created this situation decades ago is supposedly being reversed. The 'no risk' property is at high risk and in receivership. The homes people reside in are not as they seem and tied to the whole entity, therefore on a timer. A charity with a person's name tied to it is possibly no more, at least in it's previous legal status. A business has 'existed' for months with no product to sell , except for leftovers comprised of cotton and leather. And still, loyal followers blindly hang on for an annual event that has no location.
Sadly, along the way friendships have been destroyed. Enemies have been made. A community has been fractured. The truth has been twisted. Lies continue to be told.
Funny thing about sheep. They just continue on oblivious to their surroundings. Oblivious to the truth. ........... I wonder .. will '18 be the final year that they figure out reality?
My only advice.: bring Cash.
Few years ago, I started getting tired of the BS .. so I began pulling back, only to get sucked back in ( added back into groups, etc). But mentally .. I was slowly pulling back. Began questioning things in their current state, wondering how I got pulled in initially. Spent too much time thinking it all over..... Good news is most of that is in the rear view mirror.
Have to admit, never saw the current state of affairs occurring. I remember when I made the decision to draw the line and the knee jerk reaction that occurred, and the blame game began. To avert blame, I was now part of some rhetorical MC, so I embraced it and ran with with it. The more I embraced it, the more clearly I saw things. Soon, a small herd of followers and/or haters ( depending on your side of the line) emerged and sparks began to fly. Folks came out of the woodwork with their own stories.... their thoughts .. their experiences. Suddenly, you realize it wasn't just yourself , but dozens. Hell, maybe hundreds. We'll never know.
When I drew that line, I pointed out something I'd said for years. That a virtual group .... that tied to a riding group ... was simply an extension of a business to raise revenue. Simple as that. Hell, I'd been saying it for years, just this time ... I stood my ground. And this group had become entwined with an annual event, that was gaining momentum among a small enclave of riders of a specific brand. Problem was, this event had a high cost compared to other events around the country. Then compare the funds ingested vs the funds that outputted to the advertised cause, and the math didn't add up. The kicker for me was that personally, I never questioned how the funds were spent, just that there was no transparency. My personal feeling was that egos' had become entwined with the event and it was no longer really about, what it was originally started to be. Simple as that. Me personally, I just wanted to see a breakout of the funds, where they went. Nothing more, nothing less But, it took on a life of it's own. Many felt the funds were being allocated incorrectly. Used incorrectly. Maybe .... just maybe... for personal use. After the way the whole quagmire played out, I myself was starting to wonder about this piece.
Now, the page turns. I don't even know what page we're on.. what chapter we're on. For the most part, I'd put the book down, but when your phone lights up with screen shots, you've got to open the book again and try and remember which page you were on. But the problem is when you've lost interest in the book ... the plot.. the characters . .. all of it.
I lost interest when I realized the truth was mired in a spin.... a downward spiral. So many questions... so many lies .. so many different versions. The legal process that created this situation decades ago is supposedly being reversed. The 'no risk' property is at high risk and in receivership. The homes people reside in are not as they seem and tied to the whole entity, therefore on a timer. A charity with a person's name tied to it is possibly no more, at least in it's previous legal status. A business has 'existed' for months with no product to sell , except for leftovers comprised of cotton and leather. And still, loyal followers blindly hang on for an annual event that has no location.
Sadly, along the way friendships have been destroyed. Enemies have been made. A community has been fractured. The truth has been twisted. Lies continue to be told.
Funny thing about sheep. They just continue on oblivious to their surroundings. Oblivious to the truth. ........... I wonder .. will '18 be the final year that they figure out reality?
My only advice.: bring Cash.
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