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Wow. That is really baring your personal lives. Takes a lot of
courage to do so.<br>
<br>
David M.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 09/05/2015 04:05 AM, joshua carr
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CA+oyTi0roR=5i+MDLiN-30eqaMJb8SP3=TNZZqNDUALWke2hog@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<p dir="ltr">In these wee hours of the morning I am my most
eloquent self. I've decided to write a bit tonight to clear up
some rumors about myself and my fiance that have been recently
brought to my attention. <br>
When I applied for membership a while back(my 4th application in
6 years) I was unexpectedly and callously denied. The friends
I've made in the local maker/hacker community over the years
were quick to criticize the reasons that were given for this,
but I feel that that if you guys felt strongly enough about them
them to turn me down, then I should be just as concerned. </p>
<p dir="ltr">(1) It seems that my choice of lifestyle was an issue
for most. I read vague assumptions about how a person who lived
in a modified vehicle rather than in a house or an apartment
MUST be applying for membership so that he can take advantage of
the facilities for daily functions like showering and preparing
meals. I AGREE that this is not what the shop exists for. I had
already established more reliable means of accomplishing those
tasks, but there was no way for any of you to know that.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There were concerns that the presence of such a
vehicle would hurt the image of the shop. It seems that some of
the members are very put off by the appearance of
poverty(homeless camp). What was insulting was the vapid
assumption that, if I was made a member again, I would "live at
the shop" and never leave. <br>
There were nights that we stayed in the shop driveway and used
the shower the next morning rather than driving back to Lacey's
spring, but only after we were encouraged for weeks to do so by
several members.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ive never been treated like a hobo before, and I'm
certainly no bum, so I was quite upset by this, but I hold no
grudges against the people who said these things. They were
expressing valid concerns based on what they had seen or heard,
and that's why makers Local has this process.</p>
<p dir="ltr">(2) There were also concerns that Amanda, my
girlfriend of 4 years, was "part of the deal" when deciding to
allow me back as a member. There were statements that she was
irresponsible with, or not to be trusted around other peoples
valuables.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This is entirely MY FAULT. <br>
A year ago, when Amanda and I were going through a sour spot in
our relationship, I went on 2 angry drunken tirades, while at
the shop, blaming Amanda for the failure of my business and my
subsequent stress and misery. <br>
These were baseless statements made out of anger and frustration
that have since evolved into a bad reputation that Amanda did
not earn and does not deserve. <br>
Amanda did not steal from my company. My business failed because
it was not prepared to grow and I never drew a line between our
personal finances and those of the business.<br>
So, while she was partly to blame for the misery that drove me
to drink so much, the other problems were not her doing. <br>
I can't apologize enough for the things I said. I hope each of
you can see past this. <br>
I had come so far and risked so much, that I couldn't admit to
my family and friends that I had failed. I consider most of you
my friends. I have respect for each of your individual successes
and felt that I owed it to you to be successful as well, so I
found a scapegoat in Amanda, and I've been eating crow ever
since.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It's past time to set the record straight, for her
sake. <br>
Amanda has been a helpful right hand to me in most of my
endeavors and has taken the time to clean various areas of the
shop on several occasions, including regularly neglected areas
like the bathrooms and the kitchen.<br>
<br>
Being unable to change the past, I'm focused on the future. </p>
<p dir="ltr"> I'm pleased to share that our lives are very
different now. Since reading your fervent support and damning
condemnations of us, we have taken some steps to alleviate your
stated reasons for apprehension. </p>
<p dir="ltr">(1) We don't live in the van anymore. Amandas aunt
owns a 4 bedroom house just over the bridge south of Huntsville,
and we are renting one of her spare rooms. The van has been
emptied and is now merely a mode of transportation again. This
also means that we will no longer have to bring our yappy little
dog with us to the shop.</p>
<p dir="ltr">(2) We are gainfully employed. Our "hustle and flow"
means of supporting ourselves was enough to pay our few bills
before, but wasn't something that many of you can relate to, so
we went out and got regular jobs. Amanda is managing a pizza
joint and I'm a delivery driver. I've been able to put more
money into my projects and Amanda has dusted off her sewing
machine and done a few of her own.</p>
<p dir="ltr">(3) We are no longer attached at the hip. We
purchased a second vehicle allowing us individual means of
travel, and we now work varying schedules that don't always
allow us to both be at the shop at the same time... For whatever
that's worth.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I'm sending this out to you all because I intend to
reapply for membership soon, and would rather be humble than be
humiliated... Again. </p>
<p dir="ltr">TL/DR<br>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br>
I'm not homeless or jobless anymore.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Amanda is good people, despite what I said when I was
drunk a year ago.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Amanda has her own car now.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Yappy dog stays at home now.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I need to be a member again, cuz I got more money
than time.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Stop treating me like a hobo, and just let me work on
my projects.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Please.<br>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p dir="ltr">Josh Carr</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:Joshuaq.carr@gmail.com">Joshuaq.carr@gmail.com</a><br>
<br>
</p>
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