Answers Regarding My Current Guildlessness

Okay, blah blah blah and I don't want this to turn into a rant so I'm going to try and be careful to avoid that.  This is sort of a touchy topic, so I'm going to try to be gentle with it.


Yesterday, I was removed from my main's guild because I applied to another guild without first talking to the officers and guild leader.  I got a private message on our guild forum where I was told that I should have spoken to them first about my issues/concerns and tried to work it out and at least warned them that I intended to leave.  I was also told that what I did was disrespectful.


Any of you who know me personally know that I never ever intend to disrespect or upset anyone.  Ever.  It's just not what I'm about.  Even after being removed from the guild, I don't have any grudges really toward the guild as a whole.  For the most part, the folks in that guild were amazing people.  There were just a few personalities that I just could not work with anymore.  The guild leader, unfortunately, fell into the latter category.


Now, let me first say that I agree that it's shady to apply out to another guild without really talking to at least an officer or your guild leader.  But I also think that there are certain circumstances that create exceptions to this rule.  I think you should definitely try to communicate with your guild leadership..but sometimes, when you're done...you're just done.  In my case, I was just...done.  It was a really sad moment when I realized that I was done, too.  

You all know by now that I just don't handle guild changes well.  I don't like leaving friends behind, especially if I've spent a considerable amount of time with that guild.  I don't like leaving the guild in need if I've been filling the role of a tank or healer for them either.  I hate the feeling of turning my back on people I have spent so much time with, had so much fun with, and grown attached to (in-game friendships...you know...nothing perverse).  I mean, I agonized over every single guild change I've made so far.  There are a few posts here where I've confided in you the hell I go through when I'm thinking of moving on.


I know, you're all dying for the juicy details.  I'm not going to get into anything specific, but I will explain why I made the decision I made when I decided to apply to a new home.  

First of all, during our Wrath raiding, there was a LOT of tension, especially toward the end of that expansion.  The guild had decided on running two raid groups:  A Progression Team and a Non-Progression Team.  When you call one team the Progression team, then the Non-Progression Team - you're just asking for issues.  Egos got involved, the non-progression team felt like they were being completely left behind, not getting the attention or the push they needed and deserved, there were a lot of rumblings going on.  Suffice to say, things came to a pretty big explosion in the guild.  People began to leave and move on from the guild we were in.  It was really sad in some ways, but enlightening in others.


It began to open my eyes.  Post-explosion guild was just strange.  I really started to take note of peoples' attitudes toward each other, how they were treating one another and interacting and I really started to notice a huge rift between what a former guildie called "The Good Ole Boys" and "The rest of us."  That rift began to grow even more, it seemed, once Cataclysm dropped and I began to realize that I was just...done there.


I don't have any hard feelings toward anyone really.  Sometimes you just get to a point where you need a change of scenery to refresh you, rejuvenate you, and help you find what you feel like you're lacking.  I wish that the members of my former guild could see it that way.  It's nothing personal and my decision was not based on any sort of resentment toward the guild.  I just needed to find some fresh fields to roam in, so to speak.  So, if any of you guys are reading this:  I'm sorry it ended as it did.  You know how to reach me and if you don't, just ask the man-mage.


I'm not sure it would have done any good to talk to the leaders about it anyway.  A friend of mine had done so via our forums and ended up getting kicked out anyway.  I'm not sure of all of the details surrounding that whole fiasco because I had only gotten his side of the story really and it wasn't much of my business anyway.  So I really can't say what exactly happened.  But after hearing from him, I guess I just didn't feel like talking to them about my need for change was going to get me anything but a boot out the door.


Anyway, looking back...If I had known it was going to cause such hard feelings and drama and be taken as a sign of disrespect, I would have handled things differently on my end.  My druid is currently homeless, but I'm pretty sure my application was accepted for her new home.  I'll update you on that when I find out for sure. 


I wanted to post this today though because after yesterday's random gkick (while I was logged out, mind you - they didn't feel the need to confront me in person about this...so I guess it was an eye for an eye) I got quite a few questions.  I guess there's also been a pretty feisty discussion on their guild forum about this little saga.


I'll leave you with a few thoughts:  First, It's just a game.  Guildies come and go, situations change, peoples' wants and needs change, goals change, content changes...but in the end, it's just a game.  You really can't take anything personally.  Don't take it personally if we leave your guild, won't join your guild, won't invite you to our guild, etc etc.  It's just a game.  There's a place for every player in the grand scheme of things.  There's no point in staying someplace where you feel tense and you don't enjoy playing and there's no point in letting things get you down.