Making Changes

Over my letterboxing years I have received many comments about the letterboxes I have planted. Most of the comments have been positive but there have been a number that have not been nice, some bordering on rude and a few that were outright rude. I tend to take things personally especially when it involves something I have said or done or made. I put an insane amount of time into every letterbox I make and it really bothers me when I get a rude comment.

Over the years I have realized that when I think about planting a new letterbox it seems to take me longer to get the box done. I procrastinate about every aspect of the box - from finding the right spot, picking the best image, getting a good carve and making a nice logbook. I have come to the conclusion that the reason it takes me so long to get a box planted these days is because I worry about what people will think. This has taken all the fun out of planting boxes and out of letterboxing.

I have also noticed that I get some comments about the way I list my boxes. Some people are demanding about how they think I should do things. Here is a very recent example: I posted a couple of boxes both on AQ and LbNA. When I posted them on AQ I put in some restrictions. So when someone visited LbNA it took them to a link on AQ that told them they weren't authorized to see that box. They thought it was rude of me to do that and they stated I shouldn't post boxes on LbNA if there were restrictions. Well, I loved having all my finds and plants listed on both sites - it is just something I like doing - having complete records. What bothers me is that these people feel that I should change the way I do things because it inconveniences them. I feel that because they choose to use only one site and to not log in their finds on AQ that they are rude. My feelings are that if it is a problem for you and you think it is rude when you get an unauthorized message then maybe you should change what you do instead of asking someone to change what they do just because you don't like what they are doing.

Because of all this I have decided to make some changes in the way I do things. First, I deleted all my boxes from LbNA, so if someone feels like finding any of my boxes they will have to go to AQ - I really don't care anymore if they take the time to search AQ for my boxes or if anyone at all looks for them. Second, I am starting to retire some of my boxes (a list of boxes I have retired will be at the end of this post). It just isn't worth getting rude comments while doing maintenance on a ton of boxes. Third, I will no longer log finds on LbNA or AQ - I will just keep a personal record on my home computer. And I will keep all my logbooks on AQ private except for my planted traditional boxes. I had originally thought I would make my blog private but decided that I would open it to all but not post it on AQ.

I am not sure how much letterboxing I will be doing - I will just see how it goes. There are a few in and around the Santa Fe and Albuquerque areas that I haven't found yet so I may look for those during the summer. And I still have the Alaska Letterboxing Cruise that is in July. I do have one more box for my Alphabetical New Mexico series to plant but after that I will severely curb planting any boxes. I have lost the love that I had for this hobby and I don't seem to be able to find any excitement to get out and box.

Here is the list of the boxes that I have retired . . .
Siddhārtha Guatama
Going in Circles
"Fortitudo Dei"
Keep on Swimming
The Crow Knows
New Mexico's Eternal Flame
Giant Rebel of Eden
Honor, Loyalty and Peace
Bear in Mind
lionsmane's 5 Year Letterboxiversary
City Different Walking Tour
Thaumaturgic Escalator