My Youth (of Today)
When I was younger, I was a huge fan of D.C. band, Fugazi. To this day, I still pull out those old LPs and listen to what I consider classic records. (Ok, so I don’t pull out the LPs, but instead scroll through my iPod to find them.) Fugazi marked a turning point in the late 80s hardcore scene and I was there to witness it all, even meeting and speaking with Fugazi several times.
Fugazi were known for their DIY (do-it-yourself) ethics and a stance against much of the violence that was plaguing many of the shows at the time. For those of you that weren’t into that whole music scene, let me explain; many bands were beginning to draw “crossover” crowds – metal heads and punks, prog rockers and skaters, stoners and skinheads – and these crowds often clashed. And when I say clashed, I mean fight. Nasty fights. Riots and ugliness. I’ve seen several happen right in front of. It’s not pretty.
Fugazi guitarist and vocalist, Ian MacKaye (formerly of straight edge hardcore band, Minor Threat), was known for admonishing those who chose violence (even in the form of slam dancing and moshing) during the middle of the show, while the rest of the band carried on behind him. He spoke individually to those that were causing the ruckus and at every show I ever saw him do it at, brought a calm peaceful resolution to the problems in the crowd. It was always quite a sight to behold.
Am I on the wrong site?
Ok, now that you feel as if you’ve been reading an old worn copy of Flipside, let me get to the point.
Fugazi were always known as being real (which is a curiosity in itself as the word fugazi is actually Italian slang for “fake”). Everyone knew that they meant what they said and said what they meant. If it was unpopular with the crowd, it didn’t matter. They were there to create amazing music and anything that stood in the way of that was fair game.
Me, I stopped trying to create amazing music onstage, but instead took to the real estate and blogging worlds. I’m attempting to create amazing real estate transactions and amazing blogs. Not everyone will come “peacefully“. There will be times when people who came to see me will not agree with everything I say and do. They will tell me I’m wrong for my beliefs or cause a ruckus. While not what I would call a riot by any stretch of the imagination, Bob Wilson’s recent comments on a post of mine have me thinking about conflict resolution.
Before anyone equates what I just said with “Bob Wilson is attacking me,” let me be clear; I like Bob, I loved his comments, and I respect his opinions. We are different. We think differently on this particular issue (and probably some others). While Bob and I went back and forth, trying to explain our individual positions, I reflected on the fact that this was probably my first real disagreement on something I’ve written (and Bob wasn’t the only one). In disagreeing with me, I found myself trying to explain my idea more in depth…although that didn’t change Bob’s mind anyway. A differing opinion is bound to happen on your blog someday. How you handle it can make a lot of difference.
The best position to take when there is a disagreement on your blog is to begin a dialogue. Although neither Bob nor I walked away knowing we had convinced the other of our opinions, I did hear a lot in Bob’s comments that I could relate to. By listening and opening yourself up to something different, you may just learn something or even change your opinion. They don’t have to be written in stone, that’s for sure.
I’m still a new agent and learning everyday (and will be long into the future) and an occasional disagreement between myself and someone on one of my blogs is good for me. It opens an opportunity for me to learn from someone else’s experience and knowledge. We all should be open and ready to learn from our peers – even if we don’t agree with them.
photo courtesy of intangibleArts
