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I recently went to the Rally and was really excited about playing a new game, you know, looking forward to doing something I hadn't done before. I even got a free car! It was an ugly unadorned free car, but what the heck right?
Well, my time there was very memorable, but not in the way you might expect.

When I started the game I picked a site with only two other "players". I didn't really know what I was doing so I asked them some questions. Boy! I guess things like that can set some people off in a big way. Not only were they very rude to me, but one of them actually started to cuss up a storm and told me to get the f**k out!
I was so startled by this that I left.

At first I was angry that I'd let this punk intimidate me, but then the anger turned to sorrow. I felt sorrow not only for myself but for others like me who have had similar experiences and felt powerless to do anything about it except report to a faceless, nameless administrator. I think the point I'm trying to get to is what does it cost to be polite?

What does it cost to be nice to someone who needs a little help. Does it take away from your "macho" image to have some compassion for a fellow human being, or is it that if you show you care even a tiny bit, you'll be branded weak?

I don't even pretend to know the answers to questions like these, but I do know what I'm going to do about it. It's simple really, all I'm going to do is be the best person I can. I'll help as many others as need it, and I WILL NOT let the beasts out there get to me again.

If anyone ever reads this but me, and if this message strikes a cord in a good way, please take the time to make someone feel welcome. Show the best side of yourself. Hopefully what good things you do for one will be passed on to an other.
After all....what does it cost?

Oh by the way, I've never been back to the Rally. They can junk my ugly car if they want to.