Drama, Drama, Drama
So last night was my first night in a while to just go out and have some drinks and relax. While I do go out, often it is autism related and Mama needs a break sometimes. I originally had plans to meet a friend for dinner but she had to cancel. Instead I first had a quick drink with a friend at our local haunt and then I met another friend at another local: an Italian wine bar just up from the Pilgramgasse Ubahn station. I left work in a fantastic mood, ready to get my drink on and to talk and laugh but the Internet had other plans that afternoon, my friends.
I received a private message from a mom with a screen shot of the start of a shit storm. As I have mentioned before, the Hard Rock Heals charity organization, in association with Hard Rock Cafe Vienna, is hosting a Hard Rock Goes Blue event for World Autism Day. This incredible event will help raise money for my organization: Autism in Vienna. The breakfast will have live jazz and an art display and I get to make a speech. The lighting will be blue and the cocktails will be blue and it is all very exciting. So of course, some people need to find offense in the event. The colour blue has become the colour of autism awareness and has been adopted by many autism organizations around the world. Unfortunately, the first organization to use this colour was Autism Speaks which has garnered a ton of negative attention due to some badly implemented campaigns. And here we have an example of the start of a shit storm. Instead of looking into the event and discovering that there is absolutely no affiliation to Autism Speaks, people are starting a Twitter campaign in outrage about the event on April 2nd. And I tried to keep it together.
From 4:15 to 6:00 I wrote dozens of messages (and apologized profusely to my friend at the wine bar. He was amazingly understanding as I had several heart attacks across from him) and tried to put out the proverbial fire and I am now just mad. I am mad that what should be a message of hope. of acceptance, of awareness, it ends up with someone calling me an idiot. I just wanted one NIGHT TO RELAX! ONE NIGHT! Now, I have dealt with Internet trolling in the past and while it is never fun, I can handle it. What I can't handle is someone trying to hurt other people and to hurt an organization's reputation. The Hard Rock Cafe Vienna have been incredible these past few months: organizing a Santa meet and greet for kids with special needs, organizing the event on April 2nd and of course, an Easter morning on the 8th. You can mess with me (but please don't, I am delicate flower), but don't mess with people who are trying to help. And I am saying it here and now, blue is not an offensive colour. Blue suits me very well. I looke great in blue. Autism in Vienna: Beacon Beach House has declared their official colour as blue. There. We're blue.
Our goal is to help families, to help people, to create a strong and supportive community. There is nothing offensive happening except me wearing leggings as pants. Anyway. Luckily I was able to enjoy the rest of the evening. At one point someone I had met at the gala event I attended last month showed up. I waved him over and since I have different hair and it was dark he politely said "Sorry, you don't know me. You must have the wrong person." And then my friend starting calling him over (having also met him before) and the pair of us looked like a couple of howler monkeys, trying to get him to come over. He was there to meet our friend GG who was on her way over so we mentioned her name and then he realized we weren't a pair of crazy wine bar flies. GG showed up a couple minutes later and we ended up having an absolutely lovely evening. By 9:15, it was time for me to head home and once I told the Husband about the shit storm, he calmly cited that even the City of Vienna is going blue (lighting several buildings in the colour blue on April 1st). That made me feel better and so as I lay in bed, I wrote a few more messages. I am exhausted this morning (mostly from the wine) and I am annoyed that people can be so cruel and uninformed. The moral of the story, kids, is always check your sources. But hopefully things will be fully cleared up but I also know that it is impossible to please everybody. It is time to put on my face spackle and get dressed for work. This afternoon I will be posting a guest blog post from a dear friend. She sent me the draft yesterday with the message "Read it, shit head." She's the best. Thank you all for your continued support and I think I will spend most of this weekend in fetal position. Toodles!
I received a private message from a mom with a screen shot of the start of a shit storm. As I have mentioned before, the Hard Rock Heals charity organization, in association with Hard Rock Cafe Vienna, is hosting a Hard Rock Goes Blue event for World Autism Day. This incredible event will help raise money for my organization: Autism in Vienna. The breakfast will have live jazz and an art display and I get to make a speech. The lighting will be blue and the cocktails will be blue and it is all very exciting. So of course, some people need to find offense in the event. The colour blue has become the colour of autism awareness and has been adopted by many autism organizations around the world. Unfortunately, the first organization to use this colour was Autism Speaks which has garnered a ton of negative attention due to some badly implemented campaigns. And here we have an example of the start of a shit storm. Instead of looking into the event and discovering that there is absolutely no affiliation to Autism Speaks, people are starting a Twitter campaign in outrage about the event on April 2nd. And I tried to keep it together.
From 4:15 to 6:00 I wrote dozens of messages (and apologized profusely to my friend at the wine bar. He was amazingly understanding as I had several heart attacks across from him) and tried to put out the proverbial fire and I am now just mad. I am mad that what should be a message of hope. of acceptance, of awareness, it ends up with someone calling me an idiot. I just wanted one NIGHT TO RELAX! ONE NIGHT! Now, I have dealt with Internet trolling in the past and while it is never fun, I can handle it. What I can't handle is someone trying to hurt other people and to hurt an organization's reputation. The Hard Rock Cafe Vienna have been incredible these past few months: organizing a Santa meet and greet for kids with special needs, organizing the event on April 2nd and of course, an Easter morning on the 8th. You can mess with me (but please don't, I am delicate flower), but don't mess with people who are trying to help. And I am saying it here and now, blue is not an offensive colour. Blue suits me very well. I looke great in blue. Autism in Vienna: Beacon Beach House has declared their official colour as blue. There. We're blue.
Our goal is to help families, to help people, to create a strong and supportive community. There is nothing offensive happening except me wearing leggings as pants. Anyway. Luckily I was able to enjoy the rest of the evening. At one point someone I had met at the gala event I attended last month showed up. I waved him over and since I have different hair and it was dark he politely said "Sorry, you don't know me. You must have the wrong person." And then my friend starting calling him over (having also met him before) and the pair of us looked like a couple of howler monkeys, trying to get him to come over. He was there to meet our friend GG who was on her way over so we mentioned her name and then he realized we weren't a pair of crazy wine bar flies. GG showed up a couple minutes later and we ended up having an absolutely lovely evening. By 9:15, it was time for me to head home and once I told the Husband about the shit storm, he calmly cited that even the City of Vienna is going blue (lighting several buildings in the colour blue on April 1st). That made me feel better and so as I lay in bed, I wrote a few more messages. I am exhausted this morning (mostly from the wine) and I am annoyed that people can be so cruel and uninformed. The moral of the story, kids, is always check your sources. But hopefully things will be fully cleared up but I also know that it is impossible to please everybody. It is time to put on my face spackle and get dressed for work. This afternoon I will be posting a guest blog post from a dear friend. She sent me the draft yesterday with the message "Read it, shit head." She's the best. Thank you all for your continued support and I think I will spend most of this weekend in fetal position. Toodles!
I feel your rage!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment! It has always been my goal to make this a great and supportive community and some people just need to find offense in everything! Can't wait to see your paintings on the 2nd!
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