.006 Δ ["Anonymous" Text]
Mar. 19th, 2016 07:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ratherbelocky[Or, well, actually, this text isn't anonymous. It's simply that the ID number it displays doesn't match anything in anyone's previous contacts--as if someone's perhaps got his meddlesome paws on a brand new 'Gear.]
So there's a thing I've noticed, in the months I've been here. These anonymous posts, the ones asking for advice? They get a lot of answers. Seems we've got a lot of folks willing to help out around here, or at least to talk and commiserate, but it always seems to be a one-off deal; the person who's anonymous, most of us don't get to hear from them again, see how they're doing, and if we're anonymous ourselves, they can't contact us, either. It's like dancing some kind of intimate foxtrot and then never seeing your partner again.
But I found out something interesting. If you go to any Pokémon Center or PokéMart and tell them your Gear's broken or missing, they'll just hand you a new one free of charge. And if you happened to be lying, well. Then you've got an extra Gear unconnected to your main one.
What I'm saying is, there's an easy way to maintain privacy and anonymity on both ends while still checking in with someone you've spoken with before. Obviously, this is great to know for prank calls - and you're all welcome in advance for the April Fools idea - but I'd like to pose another option to those guys who want to help:
What if there were some kind of system in place for people to just talk about what's eating them multiple times with the same person, without ever having to know who's on the other line?
Now, I'm by no means a professional - not in this field, anyway. I'm not qualified to be a therapist and I haven't yet heard of anyone here who is. That's not what I'm suggesting we do here. But there are people willing to just listen, and to share their own experiences without judging, and that can be real useful to people who are working through tough things.
Here's how I'm imagining it'll work.
1. Folks who are interested in doing the listening contact me here by filling out the form at the bottom of this post. I vet them, and if it seems like it'll work out, then they grab an extra Gear, send me the number, and come up with their own codename.
2. I make a list of who's available and their numbers.
3. People looking to be listened to without exposing themselves, they contact me anonymously, and I'll redirect them to one of the folks on the list. After that first contact, they can just get to their listener directly without going through me as a middleman.
4. Conversation happens, everybody profits.
"But, mysterious and probably handsome anon," I hear you ask, "why do the people interested in helping have to out themselves to you? Who are YOU, even, to ask that and put yourself in charge of this whole thing?" And my answer is, there's got to be some accountability here when things this heavy and private are on the table, and I'm willing to be that guy. I'm also happy to reveal my identity privately to anyone who asks; I'm only maintaining anonymity here for those who don't want to know who they're talking to, for whom talking is easier like that.
Anyway. If listening to other people's problems sounds like your calling, I'd like you to fill out the following little survey:
If there's enough interest, I'll set something up within the week. In the meantime, let me know what you guys think.
And I guess you can call me Nathaniel.
So there's a thing I've noticed, in the months I've been here. These anonymous posts, the ones asking for advice? They get a lot of answers. Seems we've got a lot of folks willing to help out around here, or at least to talk and commiserate, but it always seems to be a one-off deal; the person who's anonymous, most of us don't get to hear from them again, see how they're doing, and if we're anonymous ourselves, they can't contact us, either. It's like dancing some kind of intimate foxtrot and then never seeing your partner again.
But I found out something interesting. If you go to any Pokémon Center or PokéMart and tell them your Gear's broken or missing, they'll just hand you a new one free of charge. And if you happened to be lying, well. Then you've got an extra Gear unconnected to your main one.
What I'm saying is, there's an easy way to maintain privacy and anonymity on both ends while still checking in with someone you've spoken with before. Obviously, this is great to know for prank calls - and you're all welcome in advance for the April Fools idea - but I'd like to pose another option to those guys who want to help:
What if there were some kind of system in place for people to just talk about what's eating them multiple times with the same person, without ever having to know who's on the other line?
Now, I'm by no means a professional - not in this field, anyway. I'm not qualified to be a therapist and I haven't yet heard of anyone here who is. That's not what I'm suggesting we do here. But there are people willing to just listen, and to share their own experiences without judging, and that can be real useful to people who are working through tough things.
Here's how I'm imagining it'll work.
1. Folks who are interested in doing the listening contact me here by filling out the form at the bottom of this post. I vet them, and if it seems like it'll work out, then they grab an extra Gear, send me the number, and come up with their own codename.
2. I make a list of who's available and their numbers.
3. People looking to be listened to without exposing themselves, they contact me anonymously, and I'll redirect them to one of the folks on the list. After that first contact, they can just get to their listener directly without going through me as a middleman.
4. Conversation happens, everybody profits.
"But, mysterious and probably handsome anon," I hear you ask, "why do the people interested in helping have to out themselves to you? Who are YOU, even, to ask that and put yourself in charge of this whole thing?" And my answer is, there's got to be some accountability here when things this heavy and private are on the table, and I'm willing to be that guy. I'm also happy to reveal my identity privately to anyone who asks; I'm only maintaining anonymity here for those who don't want to know who they're talking to, for whom talking is easier like that.
Anyway. If listening to other people's problems sounds like your calling, I'd like you to fill out the following little survey:
If there's enough interest, I'll set something up within the week. In the meantime, let me know what you guys think.
And I guess you can call me Nathaniel.
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-20 01:33 am (UTC)Hey, man. It's York. Figured I oughta just come clean with you for this conversation.
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-20 01:46 am (UTC)Yeah? What's up?
[Follow up questions? Something? This sounds suspiciously like 'we need to talk', which almost never goes anywhere good.]
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-20 01:55 am (UTC)So, your support network. What's that look like?
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-20 02:08 am (UTC)There's you. There's Heather, who's been a huge help. There's...
[Well. No. Blake isn't really a support person. The people at the circus aren't really a support network.]
[... There's just dead air, and he sighs.]
... I just want to help out.
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-20 02:51 am (UTC)[He's not going to call Tobias a kid. He doesn't want this to be any more patronizing than it probably sounds.]
But I wanna know you're getting helped out, too, all right? A setup like this, where people are gonna say things they wouldn't even breathe if they had to have their name attached...it's not gonna be a real good atmosphere for people working through shit themselves. Frankly, I'm not sure I'd approve myself, but I got North and Carolina and years of training from professionals on how to deal with this, at least as far as my own problems are concerned. I need to know you've got the resources to keep yourself grounded, dude.
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-20 02:59 am (UTC)So you're saying 'no'.
[... He kind of understands, but it's still disappointing.]
I... sorry. For wasting your time, then.
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-20 03:07 am (UTC)[York sighs as he leans back in his own seat.]
I don't plan on going anywhere, not for a long time. And even if I do, I hope people like you will keep this project going. But, like I just told someone else: Since I'm the one asking for your help, I've got to be the one to make sure you stay safe giving that help.
[He pauses.]
And, anyway. My personal philosophy's that doing the right thing's never a waste of time. No matter how it turns out.
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-20 03:18 am (UTC)[He's just repeating himself.]
Just... let me know if you can think of something I can do, okay?
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-20 03:44 am (UTC)Someone else who said they're interested mentioned something about putting together a group for folks in your age group who're dealing with some of the same stuff you are. Once I know more about what that'll look like, mind if I put the two of you in touch? I think you'd have something good to offer there.
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-20 03:52 am (UTC)[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-20 04:03 am (UTC)[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-20 04:12 am (UTC)... Um. ... Thanks.
[How does he deal. There's a sound that might be Tobias putting his face in his hands.]
[It's totally him putting his face in his hands.]
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-21 12:34 am (UTC)[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-21 01:36 am (UTC)[How does he girls, he doesn't even know.]
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-21 01:28 pm (UTC)Oh yeah? How'd that go? The lunch, which I'm hoping wasn't just a lunch of your foot.
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-21 06:29 pm (UTC)... The guy drives me nuts for dumb reasons, okay?
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-21 08:36 pm (UTC)[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-21 09:57 pm (UTC)Yes. It's the bird thing.
[And a bit more clearly, now.]
He thinks he's the best, that his birds are the greatest because his dad was some great Flying-type trainer and he inherited some of those Pokemon. That doesn't make him better at all. I guess since he's the first gym leader he has to go easy on people, but... ugh. Maybe I'll see if he'll battle me again with some tougher Pokemon once I get more badges, but he just rubs me the wrong way. Maybe he understands Flying types well, but it's not the same as knowing their instincts firsthand.
... And his air show is kind of lame. It's not like what I do at the circus.
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-21 11:45 pm (UTC)[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-21 11:56 pm (UTC)[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-22 12:06 am (UTC)Wouldn't that be something. Hey, wonder if you could just make your own Gym, anyway. Maybe an unofficial one if that's not kosher.
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-22 12:29 am (UTC)[This is totally an okay way to deal with things shh.]
Maybe. It'd be fun, at least. And probably an easier way to get some of my Pokemon to max level other than slowly fighting wild Pokemon or sparring with each other.
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-22 12:31 am (UTC)[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-22 12:38 am (UTC)[He shrugs, even if York can't see it.]
It'd be interesting. It's been a while since I fought a Trainer that's not a native.
[Private Audio]
Date: 2016-03-23 11:50 am (UTC)[Not that he doesn't love his bae.]
[Private Audio]
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