A Rising Tide

My last two entries talked about some of the challenges of running a fan page and delved into the ugly side of this community. Those experiences, as awful as they were, do not reflect the vast majority of the Renegade community. I’ve seen Renegades go out of their way to help each other in big ways again and again. The generosity and kindness displayed by the majority of Renegades is beautiful.

I’ve personally been on the receiving end of that generosity more times than I can count. Many of you reached out to me over the past few weeks when I was in a depression slump, and though I didn’t have the energy to respond to everyone, I appreciate every single one of you who offered words of encouragement or an ear to listen. I’ve always been the one listening, so it can feel strange to be on the receiving end of that kind of support.

My favorite story to tell, however, is one some of you may have heard before. Those of you who’ve been around a while remember the signed art cards Ren dropped with the Sick Boi album. Quantities were extremely limited, so getting the full set of twelve was a challenge. I ended up getting 10 of 12, and since I wasn’t willing to pay ebay scalpers to get the missing cards, I had to come to terms with the fact that I would not have a complete set. Or so I thought.

I lamented my incomplete set with my Rabbit Hole admin family, needing somewhere to vent. I didn’t expect anything to come from it—we all vented in our admin chat about various issues—but I got a DM from a fellow admin, offering me the two missing cards. I was hesitant to accept his generous offer, especially because he did not have a duplicate of one of the cards he was offering up, but he said “at least one of us should have a complete set.” It was such a selfless gesture, and it’s one I reflect on often.

But the story doesn’t end there, and a rising tide really does lift us all. I shared my thanks in the Rabbit Hole and another Renegade ended up reaching out to my friend and offering him the cards he was missing. In the end, we both ended up with full sets.

The generosity I’ve experienced within this community goes far beyond what I’ve highlighted above, and it’s part of what drives me to always respond with compassion and pay forward that kindness whenever I can. I’ve seen members of this community conduct wellness checks on others who were in crisis several times. I’ve seen the community come together to search for missing Renegades, and I’ve seen them raise money to help those in need. People have purchased tickets for gigs with the sole purpose of giving them to others who could not afford them. The spirit of this community is truly so warm and welcoming, and the bad apples are few and far between.

As tour / festival season kicks off, I fully expect to see more wholesome stories coming out of the community. The energy at Glasgow looked to be electric, and I have no doubt the momentum will only build over the next few months. I love watching this community grow, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.