I worry that if twenty, or a hundred, or a couple of thousand people or even more, read what I write, that the odds are pretty good that I'll upset someone. And this doesn't sit right with me, makes me want to pitch the whole thing.
An email conversation with a cousin (Let's call him Mike):
See? He's scared, too.Mike: Great post on the family blog! I love the pictures.
Me: Oh, I didn't post them. E. did. But speaking of blogs, if anyone should write a blog, it would be you. I happen to know that you're a writer and as a rabbi, too, you
actually have something to say. Why don't you read this guy (I link him to a blogger rabbi).
Mike: I KNEW it would be dangerous contacting you!
Readers of this blog who email me about their problems usually get back a prefabricated answer, although I try to personalize it and will sometimes hypothetical-ize it.
I go into why I can't address personal problems on the blog or by email. I just don't want to get into trouble, you know. Sure, it's lame. No guts, no glory. But people need their own face time with a flesh and blood therapy doc, and that's basically what they hear from me.
Apologetically. I have an entire lecture about pat answers.
Speaking of apologies, validating comments is hard! And here I wrote that entire post about validating what people say. Ugh. I stay up night wondering, honestly, where people have gone. Sorry, sorry, sorry, guilty as always. Please forgive.
But here's another thing. I've never officially linked to BlogHer!
The Unstory
The other day, cruising the blogs, avoiding responsibility, I noticed someone had linked over to BlogHer. Now, two years ago, when I first started blogging, BlogHer was the first website out there that really helped women network with women. Empath Daught had told me how to find it. It was a dot.org at the time, not a dot.com.
Anyway, BlogHer linked back to me, as is her nature, many times, and I never properly thanked her (them, really), not even in the monthly Back 'acha posts.
Total ingratitude. Such an oversight. How these things happen, I don't know. A person gets momentum and sees forward, not back. Wasn't it Bob Dylan who said, Don't Look Back? Why would I listen to him?
But now, well, here's a chance to make up for it. I'm going to direct all of you there! To BlogHer! Even men! Especially men. Sure, why not? At the risk of losing you forever to the many amazing BlogHer bloggers, check them out.
And we'll get to my apologies for not answering email and not validating your comments,and on and on, another day.
Here are only a handful of the women to watch at BlogHer.
Mir Kamin chimes an objection to people who worry about men with cameras around children in bathing suits. Not everyone's a pervert, she's thinking. I'm glad. But what if just one. . .
Lisa Stone I think Lisa founded BlogHer. She's so accomplished she's scary. Reading her bio makes a person proud to be female, related by some speck of DNA.
Nordette Adams tells us about a police officer who lost it in the carpool line. You can read Nordette here. She'll tell you about septuagenarians (a theme, lately) having babies. So it's not all about raging, here.
You think that I talk too much about sex? Find Liz Rizzo at Everyday Goddess and sure, at BlogHer, too.
Just a start. So many more.
therapydoc
5 comments:
Self-imposed guilt maybe? If I can speak for everyone, I think we all might understand that you have a life... just as we do.
I like your posts - if I don't see my comments added or responded to, I'll sleep anyway.
No worries therapydoc, it's all good.
Thank you for addressing this issue which I think becomes an issue for many bloggers. This week I reached a point that I said to myself that I cannot possible follow all of the people that read my blog...it would be impossible...so I gave myself some slack on that. I feel that if someone takes the time to write a comment that I should reply because I know how much that means to me, but sometimes I don't. Then, it just bugs me until I do write at least thank you for sharing...which sounds so trite. I'm still getting the hang of this blogging thing, but want to give as much as I can and still take care of myself. Sometimes, I write a blog telling everyone that I have not been in a very good place, so have not felt up to reading or commenting...I receive some really nice comments about that...so do I reply? LOL!!!
The great thing about electronic communication, is that you get to do as much/little of it as you desire...at any given moment. :o)
Thanks for the mention. Glad you're reading us. :)
You haven't upset me (yet?).... just "discovered" you, and I love your writing! Fantastic!
Actually, I thought we could get some input: Conversations in Klal and I started a thread recently, about resource networking. Thought you'd have some ideas to add (or maybe you've already done so in the past... haven't yet had the chance to read back posts).
ALN
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