My raison d’blogre is, of course, as I assume is the case with all blogsters, the elicitation of comments. Some are rich in comments, such as The Bloggess, who could type “yabba dabba doo” and have 500 responses saying “OMG your so funny we think exactly the same way!” within fiftee …
Ok, you know what? That’s just the bitter jealousy typing. The Bloggess is hilarious and uses her inestimable powers for incredible good. And her commenters are funny as well, and they know the difference between "your" and "you're." My apologies to all for being a petty butthead. Let go of the bitterness, Dead Acorn ...
In any case, the 5-10 comments I get per post are worth more than any King’s treasure to me. I bring this up because I recently had a comment that didn’t fall into one of the general categories:
- People who know me and know that if they comment, they’ll avoid me awkwardly seeking validation as a human being by asking them later if they’d read it.
- People who don’t know me personally, but for some reason or another read this stuff (self-loathing? Criminal sentence?)
- People with an intense dislike for me (surely defendably so, in large part, if not entirely) who usually post anonymous insults.
- Links in Japanese symbols that take me to soft-core hentai sites.
The exchange in question went as such:
Inge said...
Dead Acorn--I found your blog and it made me laugh but after reading some posts it seems you use humor to hide something deeper going on. Maybe you are only out for attention or laughs but I don't think so. It kind of makes me sad.
The Dead Acorn said...
Aww, Inge ... don't be sad! I'm glad it makes you laugh; that's pretty much the goal, I think. There's not any dark sad persona underneath (well, not much of one, anyway).
Inge said...
Ok. I was surprised when I saw your picture because you look grown up but your life doesn't sound grown up. I do not say that to be mean but because that is why I felt sad for you.
So now I’m making people sad? I have to say that that makes me feel akin to Dr. Altivore Straudius, the Luxembourgian biochemist who, while genetically altering a common and harmless microbe in an attempt to cure pancreatic cancer, inadvertently created a mutant super-resistant microorganism that wiped out 99% of the earth’s population back in the late 20th century. It's like tolly opposite of what I meant to do! (Ok, I’m not sure if that really happened, as I dun my histry learnin’ in eastern Idaho. Also, I appreciate the irony of my remembering him as trying to cure cancer, when I myself have been referred to as “a cancer of the googlytubez.”)
It did get me to thinking, however, about what it means to have a life that “doesn’t sound grown up.” (As she said, this wasn’t intended to sound mean, and I certainly didn’t take it that way.) I don’t think I’ve mentioned (well, not more than in passing) my participation in a band that plays Teh Rock And Teh Roll and my juvenile hopes that I will become a RAWK STAR!1!!!11! at my advanced years, though that would perhaps be thought of as “not grown up,” by some standards. Maybe my occasional post about camping alone could be interpreted as a need to escape from the pressures of society, which in turn could be thought of as immature, though I don't really think that's what she meant. Maybe it's just the fact I am an adult who regularly types the word "tolly."
I’ll think about that some more, I guess, but I’m pretty sure that I’ll come up with as many positive aspects of having a not-grown-up life as negative ones … mostly because that’s what self-deluding chuckleheads do, but hey, I’m good with that.
So please don’t be sad, Inge … trust me when I say that I’m enjoying this life more than I probably deserve to (grown up or not), and I can even act like a grown-up when the need arises. And thank you for your comment – it makes for a good world when strangers can show concern for one another.
Now if you'll excuse me, those damn neighbor kids want to have another snowball fight ...
Now if you'll excuse me, those damn neighbor kids want to have another snowball fight ...
17 comments:
Not to mention the neighbourly dog calling in for a slumber party...
Maybe the rest of us aren't as nice or maybe as insighful as Inge, but your blog definitely has never elicited one iota of sadness here...
tolly rocks!
Niamh B - well thanks! I think everyone who has commented here is pretty dang nice (even the anonymous people who make insults are very nice people, assuming I'm assuming correctly).
And Indy is having a slumber party tonight, though she knows this one. They're not good friends ... I might have to read "Where The Red Fern Grows" to them.
If it is indeed all about the comments, then I am so f@#ked.
1) Your analysis of 'commenter categories' is astute. I, of course, fall under the first category. (Yes, Acorn, I read it!)
2) I am glad your life doesn't sound grown up! I see it like this: http://xkcd.com/150/)
3) Your blog brings me giggles, not sadness. And for that, I am eternally grateful.
That XKCD is perfect. Giggling is a good thing.
You probably still ride bicycles around for fun too, huh?
I am sorry if I hit a nerve. You sound like you are a nice person and have fun. That of course is a good thing and your blog is funny and makes me laugh which we all need. (And the word giggle makes me giggle.) What I meant by my comments was it seems like you are avoiding something or running away from something. That is what made me feel sad for you. I did not know you would give a stranger’s comments so much attention but maybe that says something. I think I should not comment anymore.
God you're a suck up. It will not stop the insulting comments from being posted on your blog.
Inge - I just wrote about your comment because it seemed rather nice to me. I certainly didn't intend to make you feel uncomfortable, and I'm sorry that I did. Mostly I write to make myself giggle; if I'm hiding something, I'm not aware of it. I hope you at least keep reading, if not commenting (and I do see that I now have 3 out of the 4 categories covered ... attagirl, Anonymous! I knew I could count on you!).
Attagirl? What makes you think it's not attaboy?
Inge - trust me when I say that Acorn is just .. not that deep.
Anonymous insults can only be directed at me, please. If someone wants to insult someone else, they have to start their own blog. (It's free and easy!)
I see this blog-train derailed while I was away. Yikes!
And by "away" I mean 6 blocks over.
You did not make me uncomfortable and I don’t mind you wrote about my comments. I am glad you found them nice. The reason I said I think I should not comment anymore is it seemed my comments made you uncomfortable. Because if you wrote about them they must be very different from what other people say to you. I hope you are right about not hiding although I have found people who are avoiding or running away from something do not know it often or deny it. Again I don’t say that to be mean (and I might not be right) but to explain myself. So I will not comment anymore because my comments stuck out so much not because you made me uncomfortable.
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