I have really debated whether or not to even address this, but I feel like I need to; for no one but myself.
You see, blogging is a really personal thing. You are putting your words and thoughts out into the world for everyone to see, judge, and agree or disagree with. Does that bother me? Not really. It does make me think really hard about the things I put out there. It makes me cautious. If you know me in real life, you'll know that I have an opinion on everything, well maybe not everything, but still... I'm very open minded to the opinions of others, and I frequently ask others to share their opinion with me. That doesn't mean I will change my mind, but it frequently happens. I am persuadable. In fact, I like for someone to propose an argument that will make me change my own mind about something. Really.
I also really like discussing current events. I think it's really important to know what's happening in the world around us. I love being able to ask questions of others and find out why they think what they think. My dad is really big on this too, and sometimes I'll just call him to ask what he thinks and we'll talk forever about it. It's really neat to me because we usually have really different perspectives of the same event and analyze it with completely different sets of life experience. What I like most about it, honestly, is hearing something that makes me think of the situation in a way I hadn't before. One of those, Ah ha moments that changes my whole mindset.
As I said before, a blog is a place to put how you think and feel about things, your personal thoughts and opinions. So when someone comments negatively on your blog, it's as though they are commenting negatively on your personal thoughts and feelings. I'm a pretty laid back person, and I let things like that roll off my back most of the time. But three days ago I wrote a
blog about the uproar over kids being banned from restaurants. I wrote my own personal thoughts and feelings, and I know the thoughts of others also. I figured that some people wouldn't agree and I expected at least a few someones (depending on the traffic that day) to tell me why or how I was wrong and attempt to engage in a healthy debate. I'm fine with that, as I said, I'm pretty persuadable. What I didn't expect was to be told that I shouldn't be a mother. I did not expect for my teaching license or job to be threatened. I did not expected to be told to grow up. I really didn't.
Let me assure you, I didn't cry or get my feelings hurt at these negative comments. It angers me that someone who either knows me in real life would say these things anonymously in a blog comment, someone who is my friend on facebook and did the same, or doesn't know me at all and came across my blog in some other way would say these things. The amount of actual life that gets put into this blog is minimal and definitely not enough to actually say to me that I shouldn't be a mother (based on one blog post.) The amount of life that gets shared on facebook is a little more, but still, not all that much. I use facebook as a platform to share photos and links; to chat with friends and family. I rarely discuss work and any kind of advocating I do for my students and others with special needs on facebook. In real life, I'm a pretty closed off person. The people who know me well know a lot about me, and those out the fringes know some, but I try to keep my private life private either way.
I am posting this, sharing my feelings with you to say that if you disagree with something that I post here, tell me politely (or even rudely if you have something to say other than personal attacks) and let's discuss it. I'm more than fine with that, I like it. Tell me why I'm wrong and expect me to tell you why you are. It's give and take, and I enjoy it. If you think that what I write is awful and you never again want to read it, unsubscribe. Please. Because if what I'm writing offends you to the point of leaving rude anonymous comments, we probably won't be friends. I only post my blog in a few places, so chances are unless your my facebook friend you won't see my unless you search me out.
The commenter who left their comments anonymously, left me unknowing whether they are or aren't a facebook friend or fanpage follower, so I again say to Anonymous, if you are my facebook friend or follow my page, please unfriend me or unsubscribe. I do not appreciate anonymous rude comments questioning my ability to do my job as a mother or a teacher, as chances are, you don't know me as well as you think you do. If you leave anonymous comments on any other post, I will remove them.
To everyone else, thanks for reading!! I appreciate every comment and site view. It makes me feel as though someone does like what I'm reading and that I'm doing something right!! So, from the bottom of my heart,
Thanks! :)
