Just back from Bahamas 5-week seminar

[Fluidic Kimbo]

As some of you are already aware, back in May, *admin* sent me to the Bahamas for a five-week residential seminar on morale maintenance.

Seeing as how I was already skilled and experienced at my job, this business trip was mostly to satisfy the requirements of our insurance company. While most people here appreciated my work in my role here as the 'de facto' morale officer, this title really had no meaning to any insurance broker, and the website owner would have been liable for any claim arising from poor morale here on the board.

I said to myself I'd just go there and put in the hours and do what I need to do to pick up a diploma, but I have to say it was an eye-opening experience. Lots of roleplay exercises, such as turning young children away from height-restricted rollercoasters, and even being an on-duty guard in a 1940's concentration camp. The aim of these exercises was to try not only to empathise with the authoritative figure, but also to empathise with the person under duress. I particularly liked the exercise where we had to confiscate a goldfish from a five-year-old little girl at a carnival because she was being too boisterous with it. I really didn't like having to go 72 hours without sleep and then trying to discuss the implications of gender-specific titles with LGBTIQA+ teenagers -- that one really wore me down.

This seminar was an opportunity for me to grow and evolve.

I still believe though in my heart of hearts, that the role of morale officer cannot be studied or learned. It is a vocation, and it is a role that a person just simply finds themselves in. The kind of empathy and emotional intelligence required for this job cannot be acquired in staged acting exercises, nor read about in a journal. One must simply live life.

So anyway now that I'm back, I need to try ease everyone into our 'new normal'. I realise that a few alpha males will have their nose bent a bit out of shape for the next few while, but I'm of course equipped to handle emotional responses arising from jealousy, envy, and feelings of inadequacy arising from other people's privileges and achievements.

As things stand at the moment, the forum rules shall remain the same. I have submitted a detail report to System Admin giving my recommendations on how we can re-shape the forums, but of course it will be their own prerogative as to whether any of my stipulations are heeded. My jurisdiction shall be extended to the female forums.

It's good to be back guys. I've started making videos out my back garden swinging nunchucks (I learned to use them in ninjitsu when I was 15), and I hope to go out to the woods soon to make a naked nunchucks instructional video (or maybe just a demonstrative video). I have a 12" solid Oak set at the moment but I'm considering getting stainless steel.

[SampsonandDelilah]

Glad you’re back Fluidic, you crack me up man.

Respect