Attention KENNETH AVERY Followers:
I WISH I COULD
WRITE SOMETHING FUNNY
but I can't. I haven't any one-liners, side-splitting jokes. Or even a cute turn of a phrase at this time in my life. Just a sincere attempt to convey to all of the followers I have been blessed with in the past seven months, HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE them.
How helpless I feel right now. Looking over my list of special friends. Followers who took a 'leap of faith,' months ago and began following my life-adventures. Or more accurately, misadventures. My followers stuck it out. Stayed with me. Bad hub and good. And I am left with the feeling that they might think I take them for granted.
"NOT BY A LONG SHOT!"
I value my followers. Their presence. Their comments. Their opinions, pro and con. I sound very old-hat. Old-fashioned. And very corny. But I truly feel, that I have . . .
"THE BEST FOLLOWERS ON THE ENTIRE HUBPAGES WEBSITE."
And I thank you all, my followers, for who you are. And just how much each of you has touched my life.
~ Kenneth Avery
WRITER'S NOTE: this hub was from a wonderful idea by a wonderful follower of mine, Momma Mia. Thanks, Mia. You are a genuine life-saver. (Kenneth).
I won't keep you long. I realize that you have lives. Active lives. Children to tend to. And children to watch in their various athletic events. Some of you are retired. While some are still holding down jobs to feed their families. Every aspect of human life is found within the circumference of our safe haven, HubPages.
HubPages is a marvelous place. Marvelous for how we can all escape reality. Write about, and even face reality with its harsh faces and share the dreams we've had the night before. Did I say marvelous? Okay. Marvelous. As well as an arena where we can express our true selves, bad or good, HubPages is now, my favorite place to be.
I didn't say that to make points with our hub monitors. Editors. And managers. I wanted to tell you the truth about how I feel about being a member of HubPages.
Personally. And honestly. I've been blessed. I mean blessed. To the extremes of not deserving such blessings as the enjoyment of sitting at my PC writing various tales about my past. Personal. And present life. It's fun. Exciting. And something I look forward to each morning.
Again. Personally. And honestly. I'm sick. Physically-speaking. I may have mentioned in passing to some of my followers, that I have what was diagnosed in 2002 as Accelerated Fibromyalgia and Neuropathy. I know. These words sound like words in a Quantum Physics equation. I only wish. Allow me, rather, humor me for a moment to explain what these diseases do and how they feel.
- ACCELERATED FIBROMYALGIA - attacks the nerve-endings. Muscles. Joints. And feels comparable to having an abscess tooth. Bruise. Or migraine headache around the clock. That's it in a nutshell. This affliction is incurable. I can only treat the symptoms. For this disease, I travel to nearby Tupelo, Mississippi, to a place called the Long Town Pain Clinic, every three months to get put to sleep while a Dr. Thompson shoots my spine with heavy-gauge painkillers. It helps. But wears off in the next few months.
- NEUROPATHY - is also taking its toll on my nerve-endings. Doctors in 2002 say that the nerves in my body have been permanently-damaged. Yes, more pain. In my feet. Knees. Elbows. And back. Plain. Simple. And very painful.
I take needed-medications everyday. Some for pain. Some for the damage these two diseases have caused to my mental state. Don't laugh. It works like this. One day you are active. Outgoing. Doing pretty much what you please. Then out of the blue, you're brought to your knees by these two diseases that I call, "schoolyard bullies." They harass me all of the time. And time was, I ran scared--trying to find safety. Not anymore. I just stand my ground. And say without any personal caution, "come on! Is that all you got?" These verbal cadences help. Even for a fleeing moment. The do help.
One more time. Personally. And honestly. I did not elaborate on these physical obstacles to gain your sympathy. Pity. Or a pat on the back. I do not roll that way. I would love to be thought of as someone who cares for those around me. Not a narcissist who loves his image in every mirror he sees. Actually, I hate narcissism.
I just feel that I have to talk to you honestly.
In the past seven months, I have been blessed with many, many wonderful followers. People whom I may never meet on a personal basis. Face-to-face. But I feel as if we are friends. Good friends. Friends who, if needed, would be at each other's sides if it took it. In a word. GENUINE. That best-describes MY LIST OF FOLLOWERS.
I cannot list all of my wonderful followers here right now. I do not have the space. And many of my followers may not want their names published. Not that they might be ashamed, but that they might appreciate me respecting their rights to privacy. And that I do gladly.
Since this past Tuesday, December 6, I have tried hard to get on each of my follower's websites and read a few of their hubs. I said tried, for I spent the better part of that Tuesday and most of Wednesday, December 7, searching. Reading hubs from some of the most-amazing writers I have ever been blessed to meet. That is the truth. Even with my 23-years background in the local newspaper business (in my hometown), I never met this many talented people in my life. Writers who, with the ease of floating down the Mississippi on a raft, write beautiful works of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, biographies, how-to, how not-to and various creative stories that feed the heart. Soul. And imagination.
I've said it to some on my follower's list. And I will say it again now. "I have THE BEST FOLLOWERS on the entire HubPages website." This is in no way a bad reflection on your followers list. I am very biased. Territorial. I love my followers. Plain and simple. Cut and dried.
But now I am faced with a burden that I will have to bear. I may be forced to slow down and pace myself accordingly with my hub-writing. An area that I find VERY REWARDING. You see. In colder weather, both the Acclerated Fibromyalgia and Neuropathy grow worse. The pain increases. And I am not able to sit upright for long period of time. This doesn't mean that I am down and out. Just having to slow down until warm weather. "Hurry, spring time!"
I am also faced with a much-heavier burden. The burden of ALL OF MY FOLLOWERS thinking that because I haven't read some of your amazing works that would rival those of Hemingway, that I am taking you for granted. No way. Not for love. Money. Or power.
I started a 'thread' night before last hoping it would be seen and read by most of my loving followers. And it worked. But with this hub, I want ALL of YOU who make up my FOLLOWERS list to not only realize, but KNOW in your hearts that . . .
"I sincerely APPRECIATE YOU everyone. And am so GRATEFUL to have YOU following me. I do not deserve such warm and caring friends as those on my Followers List. At the risk of sounding out-dated, "thank God," for you all who have commented. Supported. Advised. Counseled. And let me lean on you for the past seven months."
"And I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE for NOT reading ALL of your hubs. I messed up. I won't let myself be this negligent again."
"It is my deepest desire that All of my VALUED FOLLOWERS have the Best Christmas ever. And a Peace-FILLED New Year." "Love each other. Even the stranger on the street corner."
"Life, my good friends, both on and off of my Followers List, is short. So very short. Here for a moment. Gone in a breath." "Please, for me, take the time. Make the effort. To be the difference in someone's life."
Sincerely,
and With Much Love and Appreciation,
