2024 DarkOverord here, I’m adding this on my site to preserve this post as it is part of the “history of DO”, and Tumblr being, Tumblr, who knows how long it’d be there. This site too may cease to be one day too, but I take backups of it.
I was worried due to being short on my Prescription for my stomach not eating itself that I would end up hating the world.
Well it does now but shh.
Anyway. For those who may or may not know, I run, or rather ran, the “mini” furmeets in Manchester. Today was my last in this regard. While I’ll still attend them as it’s a great chance to see some of my busier friends, I decided that enough was enough :B
To quote myself…
To all, I have chosen to step down from the position of Manchester Minimeet Organiser, and as such plan on removing myself entirely from the organisational and pastoral duties of being a staff member of MancFurs. This is a decision that has taken a while, and has been on my mind for the past six months or so.
There are certain things that I’m glad have stayed as they are, the referral that the Minimeet is still a Minimeet, because I feel there should be no separation between the Main Meet and Minimeet. Such referring to one meet as the “Northern Furs Manchester Meet” and then the Minimeets as “Manchester Furs Meet”, which essentially removes its own roots. The regularity in timing, removing any confusion on the meet dates, and trying to make the meet as clear as possible.
However over the past six months, my heart hasn’t been into it. I’m regretful that this is the case, but two years and two months is quite a run, but I feel that my time is at a close. I do not have the enthusiasm I did back on June the 12th, 2010. I don’t have the same drive and as numbers have increased dramatically over the past two years, perhaps even lack the proper skills to manage the event.
Admittedly, this has since become easier since introducing Lone, Stuart and Elly. However if I’m not in it myself, how can I, or anyone, expect a team to work properly if the guy at the top isn’t giving it his all? None of this has unfortunately reinvigorated that spirit that one needs to run such an event.
However there is more to this than “I’m not into the meets” anymore. In less than two months I should be entering my final year of university, and as such I have no wish for my studies to be distracted by the organisational problems that the Minimeet brings forth.
August will be my final Minimeet on this side of things, and I will approach the minimeet as I’ve always tried to, but medical reasons sadly mean I likely will be underperforming myself.
I do not regret running the meets in these two years however, the time and effort I put into them have paid off! But sadly like all good things, my time has come to an end.
It’s like I said last night. This was a really big decision for me. After so long the fact that I put so much time and effort in meant I was really attached to the meets. They’re basically my estranged baby, and for the past few months I honestly was wrestling with myself on whether or not I should quit the job.
Because honestly there’s a lot more than people think that comes with the title of “Meet Organiser” than just “Here’s a bar/pub, here’s when it happens, go”.
Finer details, making sure people are in at least a comfortable environment, and of course, having to deal with petty crap. As organiser I’ve had to deal with people who in the end have crossed boundaries, been warned for such, banned people. And sometimes these are hard decisions. Sometimes it’s just drama that spills over (Death Threats comes to mind), sometimes it’s a legitimate incident. But in the end that decision comes down to the organiser (And the Main Meet organiser too who I often went to with this just to confer on). It seems silly but when you’re trying to organise a meet for people to enjoy themselves, it’s disheartening and somewhat sad that I need to sometimes step in tell people “no”.
Of course then there’s the other territory that comes with “Manchester Meet Organiser”.
Over the past two years the amount of uninformed absolute crap people come out with in relation to what goes on at meets is horrible. “Oh fucking kids on leashes” is my favourite. Banned since 2009 when it was a legitimate issue that needed to be fucking pointed out as “use your noggin’”. That was before I became organiser. But even now in 2012, people are still convinced that this is a normal thing at Manchester Furmeets, even though we as staff (Be it me, my teammates or the Main Meet staff) make an active to say “No, stop that” if it does happen (Which thankfully isn’t often).
Or how about how I should be omnipresent. And I should be telling people off for incidents that I wasn’t there for or even nearby. But oh. It’s my fault for not being there and keeping an eye on it. Oh and that complaint of mine spawns from people complaining who weren’t even at that meet.
Part of the issues I actually had while organiser were caused by people who weren’t even fucking going. But it put a bad “impression” on them. etc.
Contrary to all this though. I did enjoy my time as organiser. Seeing people go “Oh I enjoyed this meet” or “Thanks Dark for organising this meet, I had a good time” is really great. Not for the ego boost (Much appreciated though). But because it’s good to see people enjoy their time at the meet, which is the entire reason it’s run. It’s not run because I want to be popular, it’s run because wethe organisers like seeing us all get together and have a ball =3
I hope it carried on this way and that I’m glad that my run has gone smoothly.