Monday, September 18, 2006

Blogging thickens the skin

I write a column for our local paper once a month as part of a writers group. Last week my column was critical of The Vent, a practice I loathe. Our paper prints anonymous blurbs on Saturday. These usually are gripes about a neighbor's barking dog, or the local sheriff, or maybe a rant about Mormonism. It varies, but it's almost always a gripe.

I hate it. I think it's not good journalism. So I wrote a blistering column for last Wednesday, calling people cowards and urging them to grow a spine.

As you can imagine, people got mad at me. In this Saturday's vent, people complained about me and disagreed. Although they didn't sign their names, so I feel they made my point.

Yesterday at church several people came up and hugged me and attempted to comfort me because others were mad at me. I just laughed.

They don't know about the verbal fistfights we get on in blogging. What happened last week was mild compared to what I've been through here.

So thanks, you guys, for being here. It's been good for me :)

4 comments:

Eric Nielson said...

We are someimes good for a jab in the ribs.

Anonymous said...

I am still very thin skinned. People at the blogs have been exceptionally kind to me. I embarass myself though and go into hiding from group blogs. I like to go to individual blogs where I have friends. Once I was told that someone wrote something that would have hurt my feeling in regards to a post that I made where I said that people asked me if I knew that other people had problems when I was on the brink of a psychotic break from my ocd at one point and at other points functioning better but still in a lot of pain. I asked for no comments as I was very emotional and stated that I was still not that well mentally. I am not sure what the person said as it was edited before I could read it. I have come to respect that person in a lot of ways as I know what she has been through and how faithful she has been. I am a person who tries to be very careful in what I say to others both in person and in private for the most part so it shocks me when people are so mean. But I know how when can be so sure that they are right or they can be easily offended. At any rate, I think people on the blogs and forums could be more kind. What are they trying to prove by putting down other people with differing opinions? I think people are far to defensive. God does not need us to prove his work! And when we try to counter something in an agressive way, we detract from all the good that can be done online. I have made a lot of good friends. Well, I know some how like being toughened and evidently it does some good. I would like to see your column! :)

Anonymous said...

Uh, I really am more stable than the above comments may reflect. Or maybe not! But glad you always make me feel welcome either way. :)

JandS Morgan said...

It sure does thicken the skin. Along the lines of what barb said, it seems the trick is to have a thick skin yourself, but always remember that not everyone does.