OK I am still annoyed with my blog. Mostly b/c I am annoyed with myself.
FYI, I do read a lot more blogs than I let on. I just don’t comment on them and I don’t talk about them. I sometimes think my time would be better spent learning astral projection, or, I dunno, shoe repair, than reading “my opinion is this” and “my opinion is that” and “you really pissed me off/offended me so let’s go on for 92 comments and give ourselves strokes over it” for hours on end.
I shy away from people reading MY blog b/c, well, I fear they’ll think I’m … an idiot. A “retard.” For having accidentally once or twice or so used the word “retard” or another wrong word. OK, let’s talk about THAT word.
I just put some of my posts back up and was re-reading some of them and noticed that I used the word “retarded” in one. I’m like, OH, great. Foot in mouth. Again. So I put a footnote on the post:
**** FOOTNOTE (Added 06/26/08): Some people object to the use of the word “retarded” and consider it a slur/slam against disabled people. I’ve never really given this much thought honestly, it’s a word I’ve always equated with “lame” (which, itself, refers to what used to be called being crippled, now that I DO think about it). Sigh. That’s why I HATE blogging, one word out of place and people will gang up on you …***
THIS is one reason I am currently wary of blogging. I always seem to be saying the wrong words/foot in mouth/etc etc. If I use a word that I haven’t really ever given much serious thought to, like “retarded,” I”m sure it gets plenty of tongues wagging over how much respect someone’s lost for me, etc, etc, (if they ever even had it) for using “that word.” When seriously, it’s just something I never really thought about. And, I’ve never ever in my life associated with a terribly “PC” crowd (for lack of, yet again, a BETTER word), so, I’ve never been around people ever in my life who would find the use of that word offensive.
So I started thinking about it. My knee-jerk reaction is “God, some people are just too sensitive, WTF is up with the word police.” But then, I remembered how I used to work with this guy at Papa John’s who fancied himself an “insult comic” and he would repeatedly tell me how “retarded” I was for actually reporting an accident I had (in the parking lot of the store) to the insurance company. I was like, “Well, it’s cheaper than paying out of pocket.” He’d say, “Whatever, but you’re still a retard.” And I remember how that fucker made me cry. And this was just two years a little over a year ago. And I *would* say that I felt like, and still feel like, a total “pussy” for letting someone make me cry like that. But then, it’s not OK to say “pussy” either, this was pointed out to me not too long ago as well.
I kind of don’t even care to write for an insta-audience. The more I say, the deeper I dig my hole, it seems.
It’s really not “ganging up.” Read this (and the other posts she links from within it) and you might change your mind.
Thanks Amber. I sometimes think you’re the only person who reads me. Which may be for the best, maybe the whole world isn’t slagging me yet for (repeatedly) saying stupid shit.
I have read some of her stuff, actually, and that’s part of what got me thinking.
Well, I happen to know for a fact that Rusty reads you, too! So there!