Writing a blog can often be a very lonely experience. I tend to think of it like that old Barry Manilow song, Ships where one of the lyrics is, "We only read you when you write." Since this is going out to the world over the Internet and you don't really know who is reading it, if they're liking it or going to eventually end up stalking you and wearing your skin as a housecoat, I'm always interested when comments come in. Having worked in theatre for a major portion of my life, I'm used to criticism and for the most part I've tried to learn from any of the negative comments that have come in from time to time. (The positive comments bring a smile to my face and make me feel good but the negative ones seem to be the ones that stick with me). Well, recently I wrote a blog about people over forty not wearing sleeveless shirts (Read the blog here... Over Forty And Sleeveless - Not So Much... )and someone out there named Joe wrote in all fired up and all I can say (even though I don't know Joe from Adam) is Joe must be a good gay son! - Don't Get Me Started!

Here's what Joe had to say to me regarding my distaste at men and women going sleeveless over forty...

i could not disagree more. my mother is in her early 50's & she looks amazing. tan & beautiful & doesn't look a day over 39.

perhaps it was a bad mirror or perhaps she just has the insecurities of every other gal in the world. you cannot see yourself accurately in a mirror, especially if it's not in your house.

ew. to forbid anyone on anything other than a shop for teens is just...ew. women's bodies are different & all people have their little problem areas that they're self-consious of. for you set an age limit on sleveless shirts is ridiculous. go on a case by case basis.

i would hate to be your friend. no one should trust you.

First may I say that I always have to wonder when the comments that come in aren't spelled correctly or in Joe's case why he does not possess the ability to use the shift key to make capital letters? (What is he e.e.cummings for Chrissakes?) There's a reason for punctuation and grammar, it helps us to know what in the hell it is you're trying to say. But please understand this is not about picking on Joe here. I want to help him understand what I was talking about and if I wasn't being very clear as a writer than allow me to correct this error.

I'm delighted that Joe's mother looks so swell sleeveless. My grandmother wore sleeveless tops into her eighties and I get that it can be a generational thing or that some people can indeed "pull it off" regardless of their age. What Joe didn't get was that I was talking about the forty year olds who are going sleeveless to look cool or trying to look twenty - not his mother or my grandmother.

When it comes to mirrors not reflecting correctly unless you're in your own home, I don't understand that one. I get that you may not be looking at yourself fully in a mirror but it not working correctly? I have to doubt that one. As far as my friend goes, it wasn't a case of a bad mirror or her being self-conscious, I know her and she shouldn't have ought to be wearing a sleeveless anything at the moment. We have a thing called a relationship where we can be honest and I'm thankful for it.

So as far as Joe's claim that he would hate to be my friend and that no one should trust me, he's wrong...oh so dead wrong. I happen to be a wonderful friend. (Hell, I have people in line like a good nightclub waiting to get on that list.) I don't miss birthdays, I call and stay in touch often and I don't know anyone who can read the story, "My Best Friend's Weddings" (Go here and scroll down the page... http://www.somelikeitscott.com/somelikegay.html ) and not come away with the impression that I'm a pretty damn good friend. I will admit I may not be a lot of things but not a good friend is certainly not one of them. And as far as trusting me, well Joe, I think that's something for you and your therapist to work out...your trust issues.

But here's the deal. I totally appreciate Joe's comments and the only reason for a whole blog about it is because as it says on my home page, "Although I've tried most of my life to appeal to the masses, I understand that I'm an acquired taste, you know, like say, Tab cola?" and because I have been blessed with Jewish guilt about everything (including someone I don't know's comments about me...hmmm....something for me and my therapist to deal with!) So I'll continue to write and Joe doesn't have to read but re-read Joe's comments again and I think you'll see what I saw in Joe's comments as he's fiercely defending his mother's rights to wear a sleeveless shirt and how good she looks in it with her tan. Joe must be a good gay son! - Don't Get Me Started!

Read more Scott @ www.somelikeitscott.com