From Genevieve to the "Haters"

Dear You, (and you know who YOU are.)

I hate that I have to write this. For the past few days, Ruth has been my legal companion, but tonight she was my confidante. Today, I needed to trade my 15" monitor for a movie screen. (Bridge of Terabithia. Thumbs down if you are old enough to have your own driver's license.)

Before I left the house I got a shocking email that David Neeleman (CEO of JetBlue)wanted to talk to ME. (Even now my stomach gets unsettled when I type it.) I, of course, blasted it out to my friends. When I was called by CNN, I also reached out to my friends. Both times, the man who was my very first friend in Los Angeles deflated me saying that I "flipped my wig" and that he doesn't support this endeavor and therefore couldn't be happy for me, he even mentioned that people around the world were dying (which surprisingly wasn't the first that someone said that to me since this blog began.) Both times I went from UNREAL HIGHS to tears.

I'm writing to you. I'm also writing to the people who have written to jetbluehostage@gmail.com and called me a crybaby or other things, with nothing else to say. I've made a point to put up ANY emails that contribute to this blog, so for you hate-mailers (and there's been so very few, actually there has only been FOUR, out of over a hundred emails) I'm sorry I didn't put your POV up. It's really pointless. If you have an opposing view, explain it. I'll put your email up. This isn't a one-sided community.

The People are dying in Africa and around the world bit:
(As Ashley says) yes, there are people dying in Africa, and instead of doing something about it on your own, you're writing to a blog you don't care about.

The You're a Drama Queen and you flipped your wig bit.
I hardly contribute to this blog. HARDLY. I've only written about my pre-plane boarding experience and have been too busy to even write about anything else. I'm grateful that the general population and the media have provided me with enough content that I don't have to relive my experience.

The What's the big deal, so you didn't go to LA stop overreacting bit
I'm going to paraphrase what Ruth said to me. I will never be as eloquent as her, so forgive me if I'm missing some of her finer points. There were two, TWO customers who had ONE bad experience at ONE Doubletree hotel. They started a blog that had hundreds of thousands view it. Doubletree was mortified. They had to change their name after the scandal and after reparations were made to the two disgruntled guests.

This whole JetBlue debacle included over a thousand cancelled flights. We're talking about over 150,000 customers affected. NOT TWO. If this site is an over dramatic overreaction, why did so many people find refuge on this and the many other blogs that were started after this mess? So if this is an overreaction or in any way over dramatic, then you're insulting not just me, but hundreds (yes hundreds) of thousands of people.

Anyway...I have yet to properly reply to the Jetblue employee blog. I SWEAR I'LL GET TO YA. It's just that the insult today hit home. It's easy to not take stuff personal when it's 4 people hiding behind an email address, but when it's one of your closest friends, it is personal.

Last but not least, I'd like to say that the most beautiful thing of this whole blog is this. It's restored my faith in our voice. When I was in college I protested EVERYTHING. I was living near and working in Berkeley Ca. so you can imagine. But after a while, I threw my hands up thinking there would be no change, not in my lifetime. But how beautiful is it that someone like me, just looking for someone like you all, could start a blog, be on CNN, meet the president of JetBlue all in four days. Because of a BLOG.

The ironic thing is, my unsupportive friend recently got a job working for another friend who happened to be on the same Jetblue flight 351 on V-Day. He got a job as an online editor. It was his first real job after mowing lawns at UCLA and doing random jobs here and there. You know how he got the job? It started with HIS BLOG. The irony of it all.

Love,
Gen


PS-You're welcome for all the extra page views and unique visitors.