Truth is that I got cold feet and didn’t speak at the Guilderland Conservation Committee meeting tonight 👣

I totally should have but I got listening to the developer and then they sort of moved on to the next project. I could have spoken up and had my opportunity to make public comment but I remained silent. I spoke on this project the last meeting and the Pine Bush Commission technical committee pretty much said what I was thinking. And it’s just an advisory commission I told myself.

Something about the developer’s counsel pushed me off to, made me flustered to respond. He was a snake but also acted like he didn’t know or understand the Pine Bush while the Conservation Committee members seemed to be strong advocates. He had such a thick Appalachian accent, a working man like those hillbillies I was smoking with this past weekend. While I was opposing more vinyl houses in the Pine Bush, it felt different to speak after him and nobody from the public was there to bridge me in.

I wasted gas and my time driving all the way out to Guilderland to remain silent. But the room was crowded but no one else in the public wanted to talk about the Pine Bush. I was also flustered as on my way leaving the Rapp Road parking area on the Pine Bush I hit the edge of the pavement hard, felt like I loosened up something in my suspension and then felt every bump on the road and heard every noise. I was like I’m not going to make it home and there goes vacation again. Not as many wildflowers or blackberries in the Pine Bush this evening though I saw a Red Tail Hawk up close.

Truth is that I get pushed around too much, to scared of public speaking and reading my inevitable quotes in the Altamont Enterprise. I’m quotable because not only I’m a conservationist and a Democrat – I really conservative, unscripted and in many people’s minds awful views. I’ve been listening to Dr. Robert Lover’s Dating Advice for Men and the truth is that I need to not be afraid to be rejected, ask questions and listen. Be authentic. You will never get a girl friend if you don’t ask lots of girls – many who may seem less than perfect at first glance.

As long as I’m not too anxious I’ll make it home safely after shopping at Hannaford in Voorheeesville. I wish I had struck up a conversation with that guy I ran into up at the Potholers when I fell – just to learn what he was about – see if he has seen any wildlife or other interesting things while up there. I can’t live my life in fear just because a girl is pretty or a developer speaks in a deep accent and wears a hipster beard.