What ever happened to the poster "Bobolink" ?

[Tsiyu]

68. We e-mailed for a while after she quit DU

She was working on a website about poverty and also trying to raise awareness concerning the lack of low-income housing in the US. ( Which is probably why she wanted the Wi-Fi ) I was on dial-up at the time and simply couldn't do the database building she needed, though I wanted to help.

Yes, she was a "difficult" person. It seemed no matter what you did, it wasn't enough. She could be infuriating. But in her own way, she either made you reject her, or she made you think a little more deeply about the entrenched poverty in our society.

I won't excuse her behavior, but I do understand it. There probably was some underlying mental issue there, but mostly I think it was just extreme anger over the way the poor are treated. That bitterness ate at her 24/7.

Poverty will do that to some - the injustice of it will make some people lash out in their pain. Needing help - as if one were a child - is also soul-killing for some. And some of the institutions offering "help" do treat one rather childishly and in a patronizing way that she hated. That is by no means an excuse for her to unload on the individuals trying to help, but in her defense, I understand she wanted people to look at the bigger picture, and seemed to think you weren't "getting the point" if you thought helping her alone might solve the issues angering her. I hope that made sense.

I can't judge her one bit. I am in a dire situation right now, needing help ( and receiving it from some wonderful people here and elsewhere ) and it is extremely embarrassing and humiliating to have to even accept that help. I don't want anyone to know; I don't want anyone to look down on me. It makes me angry that things are impossible for me to make right on my own.

I give Bobbolink credit for her attempts - no matter how clumsy or insulting - to raise awareness here. She kept fighting when many might have just gone cold and silent in their suffering. I forgive her - and yes, I received many rations of s**t from her.

I just loved her where she was in life.

But I am sorry for those who were hurt. In a way, I think she didn't believe she deserved any help, because when you offered, she seemed to be insulted. Deep-seated shame, maybe. I don't know.

Just wanted to add another perspective.