Elite Sector

There are a group of people out there who are above criticism, at least in my eyes. They are my favorite people in the world, whom I have nothing at all bad to say about, and whom are just teh awesome. These people are the Elite Sector. It's a small group -- Colleen, Guinevere, Dan, and Amy -- and during my time as a blogger I can't think of a single instance where I've been critical of any of them. Maybe I suffer from Swiss Cheese Memory, but I believe that to be true. Besides which, even if I did have an issue with any of them, you'd never hear about it here in Stray Bullets. This is a holdover from the NHG days, but I believe in a strict Circle The Wagons Policy. Even if we did have an issue, I wouldn't go shooting my mouth off here, but would try to resolve it behind the scenes somehow.

Having said that, I don't have anything to complain about. Colleen is pretty much the definition of awesome. We may not have always gotten along great when we were teens, but there's been a solid twenty years since where we haven't exchanged so much as a cross word. Guinevere is my best trusted friend who is always looking out for my best interests, even when I'm not looking out for my own. Dan, who I've only just reconnected with, is the little brother I never had. I've talked with him twice on the phone now, and we pretty much picked up where we left off without missing a step. And Amy I just really care about a whole lot, and she's been a good friend to me. I have no problems whatsoever with any of these people.

There's a layer just below this Elite Sector, too. People who have come in (and sometimes gone just as quick) and made a difference, and I really have nothing at all bad to say about any of them. People like my brother-in-law Ian, who's always been cool to me, and is without question the perfect match for my little sis. People like Shannon, who saved my life, and was a good friend, and was there when I needed her. People like Milta, who helped inspire me to want to be more than I was, and who added the somewhat spiritual aspect I sometimes apply to things. People like Lynne, who was the best of that particular family and was always good to me. People like Krysten, who was my little buddy, and who I'll always respect for having the guts to confront me about the problems we were having so that we could work them out before they got too far. And people like Jessica and Tina, who broke me out of my isolation early and opened me up to a lot of adventure.


The inverse of this are the people who I have nothing at all good to say about. This is a small group. I tend to be very forgiving. It's true that I let Jen off the hook for things a lot more easily than I probably should, but at the same time she hasn't done me any real harm. To get put in this section, you really need to go above and beyond the call in terms of trying to wreck my shit. Obviously, both X and Jude belong here. Sue also. And so does Jenny M. It's one thing to for her to decide she wasn't interested, and that would have been fine ... if that's as far as it went. But it wasn't. So by taking the opportunity to trash me after the fact, she's earned my eternal hatred. Over the years there have been others who could have ended up in this section, but I am forgiving by nature, and I'd just as soon forget those people. For the most part, I have. But the people who end up in this group get nothing from me.

To the Elite Sector, however, I just want to say ... thank you.