I'm Sorry...Can We Still Be Friends?

This blog is dedicated to my San Antonio Spark Team, but is directed at not only them, but to all of you who are on my various teams and have friended me over the years, followed my journey as I have followed yours, encouraged me, and cared for me. I owe you a debt, my thanks, and an apology.




I left leadership at the end of 2014 to take some "me" time after my WLS. I didn't spend it well at all, and I have very little loss to show for my "me" time, though altogether I'm down 82 pounds and am very happy about that. I will lose another 40-50 pounds before I decide where my stopping point is. The problem is, I didn't just leave local leadership. I left SparkPeople. I just kind of ...walked away. I flopped and floundered and just didn't participate or engage any longer. BUT...I did learn something during my months of being away from Spark.

I need Spark.

a. I need the accountability of being part of a team, checking in and checking on one another.
b. I need the encouragement. Everyone needs a pat on the back when we do well or a nudge from a friend when you procrastinate or stall.
c. I need the social aspect of Spark. I need to talk, interact, play, listen, and learn from my spark friends.
d. Most especially, I need my local team. I've made so many "in real life" friends on here in the last 5+ years. We've done activities together, had adventures together, shared, cared, loved, laughed and been so much a part of each others' lives. I miss seeing and being with you guys.



So, I came back to leadership on the San Antonio Spark Team in July. What have I done for the team since then? For that matter, what have I done to be an active participant on any of the teams or with any of my spark friends?

NOTHING. ZIP. NADA.



I came back to a stagnant, quiet, nearly extinct local team. It needed to be fed as much as I needed feeding. But I failed it. I did very little and it continued to stagnate. It seemed everyone had lost interest, so I lost interest, too. I didn't try much with my other teams or friends, either.



But...I'm back NOW. HEIDIJUNEBUG and I are here to wake the team up and start making a difference. It's not going to be easy, but we are determined to make this team vital, fun, and active again. We have a Freaky Freggies challenge starting Sunday. We are posting on all of the threads and forums. We are sending out goodies, notes, and welcomes. We are holding a dinner meet up this month. Where and When? Visit the team page for details.

I personally have issued an apology in a spark mail to the entire team for our lack of participation. It reads:



I'm trying, along with co-leader Heidi, to get the San Antonio Spark Team to come alive again. It was once a vibrant, active, wonderful group. We had fun challenges and lots of friendly support. The team page has been revamped. We have new Questions of the Day, Trivia, a great challenge starting Sunday, and a Dinner Meet Up scheduled for the 23rd.

What's missing? YOU. We have over 26,000 members listed. Of course we know many start and never return and those numbers don't reflect the traffic that moves on out and away. But..we have to have at LEAST several hundred of you still around, busy on other teams that give you more stimulation and interaction. I blame us, the team leaders, for not keeping you engaged. I apologize on our behalf and ask that you give us another shot. Please? We are volunteers who have a passion for leadership and for SparkPeople, but without participation, we lose interest also because we are, after all, human.

Local team participation can be important to your healthy journey, to my journey, to the journey of people in your general area. We all have so much to offer and share. Would you please devote a few weeks being a bit more active on the team page? The life of the San Antonio Spark team depends on YOU. The leaders cannot do it on our own. I am personally giving my all to bringing this team back to life until the first day of Spring 2016, which is March 19th. If by that time I have failed to get the team a lot more active, I am resigning from sparkpeople leadership permanently and hoping someone else might succeed where I have failed. But...I haven't given up or given in, yet!

Come to the team page and sound off, won't you? It's Wednesday as I type this. Perhaps you have something to brag or boast about on the Woo Hoo Wednesday thread? See you there!

Hoping for your return,
MaryJane



On a personal note to my other friends outside of the San Antonio team, I plan on getting back to reading your statuses, blogs, notes, and being more interactive with you. Your journeys and accomplishments have always been a source of motivation and inspiration for me. I hope it is not to late to pick back up and be friends again. I really do need you all, local and world-wide. And as always, I love you all. I really do. I'm also very grateful for you!