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Losing…and Regaining My Voice
Jul. 6th, 2017 12:31 pmEarly in the online journal craze, I started blogging. That’s rather odd when you consider the fact that I am usually pretty late on the technology bus or current fashion trend. But for me, I have always found blogging to be pretty therapeutic. As a kid, I tried to keep a journal – key word - tried. My handwriting is horrific, holding a pen or pencil starts to hurt after a while, and writing by hand often does not sync with the speed of my thoughts. Thus, it never went anywhere until I learned to type and become robo-secretary. By the time I learned about LiveJournal, I started putting a lot of information out there – my random thoughts, my observations, the inner workings of not only what I think but why I think it – and for the most part, I think that has really helped me to reach an audience I never knew that I had and to express myself far better than my clumsy speaking-self does.
At least until recently.
Lately, I have found myself blogging less and less. Is it because I have fewer topics to discuss? No. Is it because I have lost inspiration? No. Is it because I simply don’t have an opinion on the topic? Surely you jest! So what is it?
I’ve gotten really weighed down by the negativity of those who seem to really go out of their way to start a fight. No, I’m not talking about what’s happening with the White House (as if I really need to explain to anyone how I feel about this administration). Rather, it is on other posts and topics where I put my full emphasis into trying to build up an idea or enthusiasm or support – or heck, just to be funny because we could all use a laugh – only to have a person or couple of people (often the same few) find a way to take offense and turn negative. Sometimes, this negativity comes off as just a one-off dark raincloud of doom. Other times, it comes in the form of barb after barb of provocation. I swear – I could be talking about how much I like kitty cats and particular people would jump all over me thinking that I had just gravely insulted puppies. And by god, PuppyLivesMatter!
Frankly, I’m just sick of it! I’m so tired of people who have to turn every positive into a negative. I’m tired of people who have to turn every subject or every post into another example of how downtrodden they-and-others-like-them are. I’m tired of people wasting their imagination by creating an offense where there was none in the first place. I’m tired of a carefully-written post about Subject X turning into a veritable shit-storm because somebody else twisted my words to manipulate the discussion into something completely unrelated. And yes, all jokes about spurtles and pot-stirring aside, I’m really sick of having even good friends of mine criticize me for writing things “just to stir the pot”. Let me be as clear here as possible – I do not shy away from controversial subjects. Nor do I shy away from asking difficult questions. But I do so for one reason and one reason only – to get people to THINK and discuss and view a subject from multiple angles so that we can all reach a point or conclusion that we are comfortable with so that we can create positive change. This is what adults do! But to have this mission summarily dismissed as simply “pot-stirring” is not only incredibly short-sighted but insulting…so much so that I began to step away from my journal. But ya know what? Enough of that crap. I don’t have any false expectations that everyone out there will think as I think, say what I say, or agree with every idea I promote. But this whole extreme provocation just to start an argument, derail a topic, get attention, or just be a troll is not acceptable. Its right up there with attacking me not for what I actually wrote, but for what you *think* I wrote because you *think* I have some hidden message in there.
I have a voice, and I’m going to use it.
I will promote worthy ideas.
I will call attention to subjects that need a boost.
I will compliment when and where I see fit.
I will gently criticize when and where I feel it appropriate.
And I will get people to think and ask questions and discuss topics that do not necessarily have an easy or clear solution. (And if you think I’m doing it just to get attention or simply because I’m bored and want to “stir the pot”, feel free to kiss my spurtle).
But most importantly, I have a voice - and nobody – NOBODY - is going to take that away from me.
At least until recently.
Lately, I have found myself blogging less and less. Is it because I have fewer topics to discuss? No. Is it because I have lost inspiration? No. Is it because I simply don’t have an opinion on the topic? Surely you jest! So what is it?
I’ve gotten really weighed down by the negativity of those who seem to really go out of their way to start a fight. No, I’m not talking about what’s happening with the White House (as if I really need to explain to anyone how I feel about this administration). Rather, it is on other posts and topics where I put my full emphasis into trying to build up an idea or enthusiasm or support – or heck, just to be funny because we could all use a laugh – only to have a person or couple of people (often the same few) find a way to take offense and turn negative. Sometimes, this negativity comes off as just a one-off dark raincloud of doom. Other times, it comes in the form of barb after barb of provocation. I swear – I could be talking about how much I like kitty cats and particular people would jump all over me thinking that I had just gravely insulted puppies. And by god, PuppyLivesMatter!
Frankly, I’m just sick of it! I’m so tired of people who have to turn every positive into a negative. I’m tired of people who have to turn every subject or every post into another example of how downtrodden they-and-others-like-them are. I’m tired of people wasting their imagination by creating an offense where there was none in the first place. I’m tired of a carefully-written post about Subject X turning into a veritable shit-storm because somebody else twisted my words to manipulate the discussion into something completely unrelated. And yes, all jokes about spurtles and pot-stirring aside, I’m really sick of having even good friends of mine criticize me for writing things “just to stir the pot”. Let me be as clear here as possible – I do not shy away from controversial subjects. Nor do I shy away from asking difficult questions. But I do so for one reason and one reason only – to get people to THINK and discuss and view a subject from multiple angles so that we can all reach a point or conclusion that we are comfortable with so that we can create positive change. This is what adults do! But to have this mission summarily dismissed as simply “pot-stirring” is not only incredibly short-sighted but insulting…so much so that I began to step away from my journal. But ya know what? Enough of that crap. I don’t have any false expectations that everyone out there will think as I think, say what I say, or agree with every idea I promote. But this whole extreme provocation just to start an argument, derail a topic, get attention, or just be a troll is not acceptable. Its right up there with attacking me not for what I actually wrote, but for what you *think* I wrote because you *think* I have some hidden message in there.
I have a voice, and I’m going to use it.
I will promote worthy ideas.
I will call attention to subjects that need a boost.
I will compliment when and where I see fit.
I will gently criticize when and where I feel it appropriate.
And I will get people to think and ask questions and discuss topics that do not necessarily have an easy or clear solution. (And if you think I’m doing it just to get attention or simply because I’m bored and want to “stir the pot”, feel free to kiss my spurtle).
But most importantly, I have a voice - and nobody – NOBODY - is going to take that away from me.
