No more crabs

This post kind of picks up where I left off yesterday, on a little rant about things that piss me off...some sad news about a local business didn't help matters much, in fact, it kind of fueled my fire even more.
DISCLAIMER!! Now, I am not one who normally gives a shit if what a say "hurts your feelers" HOWEVER, in this post, I by no means am pointing fingers or pitting one organization or person or business against another, I am simply trying to get a point across and if it causes your ego to take a hit or causes you to look in the mirror and say, "oh...yeah, GUILTY!" Then my work here is done.
It really pisses me off that this community (and by community I mean whole county..hell I mean 50 square mile radius) cannot be more mutually supportive of one another.
There is nothing wrong with having certain likes and dislikes. I get that not everyone is interested in the same things or has the same tastes and that's fine, but riddle me this...does the prime rib served at the Pheasants Forever banquet taste any different than the prime rib served at the Catttlemen's and Pork Producers banquet? Why can't we have 500 people come support the current and next generation of livestock producers in this county like they support the pheasant population?
How is it that 4-500 people will come eat fish every Friday night during lent to help support the Knights of Columbus, but the Saddle Club and Crime Stoppers are lucky to have 100 people stop in for soup once a year?
Why is it we can flock to the Fourth of July parade every year, yet during the T-Bone parade we decide, "It's the last good weekend to go to the lake"?
Don't get me started on the number of excuses thrown about as to why people can't support different events at the fair...
Organizations can hold dueling piano events, mystery dinner theaters, dodge ball tournaments, fun runs, daddy daughter "prom nights" and we scoff saying, "yeah, that's not my thing" or say, "Are you kidding me? THAT'S not my crowd."  And when these organizations stop trying new things, we complain that there's "Never anything to do."
We have no problem driving 30-40 miles out of the area to go out for supper, rather than support a business on main street, yet when that business closes because of lack of patronage, we bitch that there's nowhere local to eat. (RIP Danish Inn.)
We will drive to Walnut to buy an antique coffee can without even checking to see if its something that Chuck's Bargain Barn or The Main Street Mall might have because, "Really? I haven't stepped foot in there in YEARS."
We need to stop this "exclusive," clique-driven, negative, questioning, doubting, FUN HATING, bullshit attitude we've developed! Let's support ALL of the wonderful things, events, people and businesses we have in this area!
Instead of saying, "that's not my thing" or "Yeah, that's not my 'crowd'" drop your attitude, let your hair down, have some fun and support the things we  DO have before they ALL disappear!
(I feel the need for another DISCLAIMER...I by no means, am putting down the success of one event at the expense of another...Pheasants Forever and The Knights of Colombus Fish Frys are terrific events that by no means should be put down..you could easily put different events and organizations into the equation and the point would be the same..they are also two events you will see me at (along with a host of the other things I have mentioned...)
I was talking to someone earlier this week who said, "We, as a community, have forgotten how to have fun. We'd rather point and gossip and say, 'Oh remember what they did 30 years ago?' I think they were on to something.
I have attended events and frequented establishments miles away from here, where we only knew the people we came with...never have we felt unwelcome, unwanted, or had the "What the hell are you doing here? and Who the hell are you look?" thrown our way. I cannot say the same is true, locally. We would rather question why someone is at an event or establishment instead of welcoming  their support. We would rather stare and whisper, then walk over and say, "Hello." We would rather sit back idly and watch as our businesses, organizations, events and towns dry up and then bitch about the aftermath, instead of digging in our heels, finding a positive attitude and extending a helping hand.
As I've said before, I'm not one to usually care if what I write pisses you off, but in this case, I have to say I'm sorry, but only because I KNOW WE CAN DO BETTER! Without a doubt, I know this. I've seen this. Yes, times are tough, we may have to pick and choose where our dollars go and what we can afford to support and I get that, TRUST me. But there is more than one way to skin a cat...you don't have to open your pocket book in order to show support, sometimes you can just open your mind, or open your heart.
Let's work together to shitcan this negative attitude that seems to be permeating everything and try to start having fun again. Let's try to work together. Let's try to step out of our comfort zones and for Christ's sake, lets try to build each other up instead of tearing each other down.