MISSING THE POINT & BEING CALLED A BITCH
So, today, I got on-line to see that my writing has stirred up a big bowl of controversy.
I've got to tell you, as a writer, I am THRILLED that folks are reacting to my work. For some of you, this may not be the reaction you were hoping for, but it's true.
I heard a quote not too long ago ... it went something like this, "Art's purpose is not to answer questions, but to ask more questions."
I am certainly not laying my writing up as some elitist form of art. Far from it ... it's my random opinions on certain touch-points in my world ... nothing more, nothing less. No one said, least of all me, that anyone had to agree with my opinions.
Having said that, let me first address the Divorced Anonymous Reader who commented on my PLEASE DON'T ASK blog entry. I think you might just have done what I ask my fourth graders NOT to do each time they read something. If you don't read carefully, you miss important nuances of a piece.
Case in point, I didn't just say this once, I said it twice ... I WASN'T GOING TO REVEAL ANY OF THE COUPLES WHOSE MARRIAGES HAVE CRUMBLED. Not ever. I believe the sentence that made that point crystal clear went something like this: "If you are more concerned with who they are, you are, I feel, missing the whole point of my post. Rather, it's turning my post into a thing of gossip, which was not my point at all." While, I didn't come right out and say, "hey, I'm not mentioning names ... EVER," I sort of thought the above statement made that clear. Never, in a million years, would I ever consider outing someone going through such a painful experience like that or exploiting their pain.
Also, I believe I used the term periphery to describe how I was privy to watching each married life. That word, by it's very nature, implies that I didn't know any of them intimately. Therefore, I was an outsider ... NOT in their inner circle.
Finally, I never referred to any of the couples as plastic people. Rather I was referring to this need that our society has with seeing perfection in EVERYTHING. When we sanitize basic humanity out of everything, essentially getting rid of everything that is messy about life, we create plastic people living in a plastic world. I thank you, Elly and the other Anonymous, my dears, for sticking up for me on that one! You totally get my subtle implications in my writing ... that or you totally get my rambling thought process. Either way, ten thousand hugs and kisses in your general direction!
The whole point of that blog was actually an outing of myself ... I tend to be an observer of people's behavior, and as an observer, especially an outside observer, I tend to make assumptions, sometimes, very incorrect assumptions. For me, I've been sucked into the PERFECT LIFE/FAIRY TALE vortex, and three times, I've been reminded that there is no such thing. That blog was a commentary on how I need to be a CAREFUL observer. Again, a picture is worth a thousand words, but a picture very rarely tells the truth.
It's a bummer that you immediately felt offended and missed my "Life Lesson #4,023 -- the one I might have actually learned ... finally." Still, I am thrilled for the reaction.
On to TatGuy21, who, after almost two years of having a random blog hanging out there regarding what I felt (again, with my own, personal opinion) was a somewhat uncreative name for a tat shop, has finally decided to call me a b*tch over my opinion. Cool! Whatever ... wasn't the first time, I'm sure it won't be the last. I've pulled out the crown and set it squarely on my head ... it's all glittery and b*tchy just for you.
As I recall, I never commented on his actual ability to do a radically, sick tattoo, which, I am pretty sure, Herb could do. I merely suggested I would have chosen an edgier title to the business. I'm also entitled to an opinion, just as you are. That's what makes the United States such a cool place -- we all get an opinion. Not that it matters, but I'm a huge fan of the tat ...
In the spirit of random thoughts, on my list of all-time favorite tat shop names is Slash's, a great little tat place in Battle Creek, Michigan. Slash is the proprietor, and I'm pretty sure, he's a rocking cool dude. I have this impression based on a girl I took Black and White Photography with in college. We were charged with doing an edgy portrait that told a story. She went to Slash, her tat guy, and asked him if he minded her taking photographs of him doing "his thing." Those photos were amazing!
I've got to tell you, as a writer, I am THRILLED that folks are reacting to my work. For some of you, this may not be the reaction you were hoping for, but it's true.
I heard a quote not too long ago ... it went something like this, "Art's purpose is not to answer questions, but to ask more questions."
I am certainly not laying my writing up as some elitist form of art. Far from it ... it's my random opinions on certain touch-points in my world ... nothing more, nothing less. No one said, least of all me, that anyone had to agree with my opinions.
Having said that, let me first address the Divorced Anonymous Reader who commented on my PLEASE DON'T ASK blog entry. I think you might just have done what I ask my fourth graders NOT to do each time they read something. If you don't read carefully, you miss important nuances of a piece.
Case in point, I didn't just say this once, I said it twice ... I WASN'T GOING TO REVEAL ANY OF THE COUPLES WHOSE MARRIAGES HAVE CRUMBLED. Not ever. I believe the sentence that made that point crystal clear went something like this: "If you are more concerned with who they are, you are, I feel, missing the whole point of my post. Rather, it's turning my post into a thing of gossip, which was not my point at all." While, I didn't come right out and say, "hey, I'm not mentioning names ... EVER," I sort of thought the above statement made that clear. Never, in a million years, would I ever consider outing someone going through such a painful experience like that or exploiting their pain.
Also, I believe I used the term periphery to describe how I was privy to watching each married life. That word, by it's very nature, implies that I didn't know any of them intimately. Therefore, I was an outsider ... NOT in their inner circle.
Finally, I never referred to any of the couples as plastic people. Rather I was referring to this need that our society has with seeing perfection in EVERYTHING. When we sanitize basic humanity out of everything, essentially getting rid of everything that is messy about life, we create plastic people living in a plastic world. I thank you, Elly and the other Anonymous, my dears, for sticking up for me on that one! You totally get my subtle implications in my writing ... that or you totally get my rambling thought process. Either way, ten thousand hugs and kisses in your general direction!
The whole point of that blog was actually an outing of myself ... I tend to be an observer of people's behavior, and as an observer, especially an outside observer, I tend to make assumptions, sometimes, very incorrect assumptions. For me, I've been sucked into the PERFECT LIFE/FAIRY TALE vortex, and three times, I've been reminded that there is no such thing. That blog was a commentary on how I need to be a CAREFUL observer. Again, a picture is worth a thousand words, but a picture very rarely tells the truth.
It's a bummer that you immediately felt offended and missed my "Life Lesson #4,023 -- the one I might have actually learned ... finally." Still, I am thrilled for the reaction.
On to TatGuy21, who, after almost two years of having a random blog hanging out there regarding what I felt (again, with my own, personal opinion) was a somewhat uncreative name for a tat shop, has finally decided to call me a b*tch over my opinion. Cool! Whatever ... wasn't the first time, I'm sure it won't be the last. I've pulled out the crown and set it squarely on my head ... it's all glittery and b*tchy just for you.
As I recall, I never commented on his actual ability to do a radically, sick tattoo, which, I am pretty sure, Herb could do. I merely suggested I would have chosen an edgier title to the business. I'm also entitled to an opinion, just as you are. That's what makes the United States such a cool place -- we all get an opinion. Not that it matters, but I'm a huge fan of the tat ...
In the spirit of random thoughts, on my list of all-time favorite tat shop names is Slash's, a great little tat place in Battle Creek, Michigan. Slash is the proprietor, and I'm pretty sure, he's a rocking cool dude. I have this impression based on a girl I took Black and White Photography with in college. We were charged with doing an edgy portrait that told a story. She went to Slash, her tat guy, and asked him if he minded her taking photographs of him doing "his thing." Those photos were amazing!
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