I just got this comment on the post in which I announced my candidacy for the President of the Fenway Garden Society from my opponent, David St. Jean:

Mike,

Unfortunately you will find out what a sizable community I have built. The only grant you were successful with was written by Tim* and this should be a lot of fun.

Dave

Hey, a little trash talk never hurt anybody, right?  Bring it on!

But I get the feeling that Dave's definition of "fun" might be a little different from mine.  I'm kind of into, like, curling up with my chai on a cool autumn night and watching LOLCats videos on youtube.  But does anyone else get a sense there might be brass knuckles and brickbats involved here?  Or is it just me?

This is fairly typical of Dave's uh, communication style, I guess you'd call it.  And I'd be lying if I said it wasn't one reason I'm running.  Although in reply I hastened to assure him that it wasn't all about him:

Dave,

Just so we're clear.  I'm not running because of you.  This is not about David St. Jean.  This is about the Fenway Victory Gardens, of which I've been a member for six years, and which I hope to be a member of for years to come.

As I said in the post, I appreciate the hard work you've put into the position of VP of the Park. I have never doubted your commitment even if some of your methods have been questionable.

I think your comment speaks volumes about your communication skills, and I think the condition of the park speaks volumes to your organizational skills. 

I hope that if you're voted in as President of the Garden Society December 4th you show the commitment to civility in communication with members and partners that both deserve.

It's obvious that the Victory Gardens have been an important anchor in your life over the past couple of years.  They mean a lot to all of us.  Please treat them and us with respect.

See you at the annual meeting. 

Mike

I know this is hugely important to Dave, personally.  That's obvious. It's important to me.  But in a different way, I think.  I'm excited about the organizational challenges (wonky as it sounds), and the possibility for exciting new programming on-site that I'd discussed at length with an "intrigued" Parks and Rec Department.  I'm excited about opening up the discussion about what kind of community we want to be and how we can achieve that. and I see my role as President of the Board as facilitating that discussion and seeing it to fruition.

But I understand how it could turn personal.  Sometimes people hit a rough patch, and it's wonderful when they can find a sense of purpose in their community, as I think Dave found in the gardens, which have been an anchor for many kinds of people in many ways over the years — everything from a safe place for folks with substance abuse issues whose lives are on the rocks to snooze off their latest bender to a weekend haven for folks who need an escape from the hurly-burly of their workaday lives. 

We've got it all.  I'm sensitive to that.

And traditionally — although Dave has actually not been with us for very long and may not know it — we have been an insistently inclusive organization.  That's what I have always loved about The Victory Gardens — not only our diversity, but our consciously embracing diversity. 

Our values are worth fighting for.

Um, just not with brass knuckles and brickbats, please.
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*(Tim Horn, outgoing President) — I shouldn't have to dignify this with a response — it's clearly a taunt — but not only does an exhaustive paper trail on every phase of this grant application — which was absolutely a lively collaboration — exist, but my grubby little paws are all over this boilerplate:

As the heart of the Fenway, the Victory Gardens provide the perfect meeting place for our diverse community, a space for old and young to share experiences, and for neighbors from an extraordinary array of backgrounds, ages, and abilities to come together in fellowship. A vital part of FGS’s mission is outreach: inviting the wider family of the Fenway to not only enjoy the gardens but meet their neighbors in the Fens. Our July Fourth Celebration, which is free and open to the public, provides the perfect opportunity for our neighbors, regardless of their means, to come together and share a meal, music and fun and games.

I mean, please, queen.