Don't Bother Trying to Keep up With Me

I recently received an inquiry from one of my dedicated readers as to why it is I stopped keeping up with everyone else, essentially, why I stopped commenting on other people's articles so frequently. This question had such a layered answer that I felt it was deserving of a community article. Hopefully I'm not the only one who feels this way, more to say I know I am not, but if I am then c'est la vie.

As anyone who follows me can tell, the second I get one shred of free time I utilize it to the fullest. Utilizing it to the fullest entails working on my writing first, then after that comes any and everything else. I'm just way too busy to keep up with the 100+ people who are active and that I am following.

I watch my son 24/7, no babysitter for the last two years, and we haven't had a real break since he was born. Writing is one of my only true outlets, and since I am wholly honest I'll tell you that I absolutely loathe reading. As it concerns reading, I'm into audio books so I can write and, "read," at the same time.

If you want me to keep up with your writing, I need you to come and tell me exactly what it is you want from me.

I'm not a damn mind reader and I'm so busy with my own life that you need to grab my attention by your own hand!

I'm the type of person to care about every little detail of every facet in life. This ends up taking a huge toll on my mind, and subsequently my ability to care as a whole. If I don't take the time to offer myself the chance for some self-care, some selfish indulgence of my whims, then I'd quickly be running myself into the ground. With over thirty articles being posted per day by the authors I follow, I feel as if I'm letting each and every one of you down if I don't read every single piece and that isn't fair to myself.

Thus we come to my solution, which is to say I'm going to stop caring so much. HubPages seems to be a kind of tit-for-tat, you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours situation. I get more views from off-site, and even further the people who enjoy my writings and don't just skim over them refuse to even take part in this site, and hit my emails and our groups for discussion.

If you want us to care, then you need to show you care, right? That seems to be the way of things, and I'm a bit exhausted with the dynamic here. Don't take it personal.

For those who feel like I have a hair trigger with my writings, or that I unfairly criticize others, well I'm sorry that I have no remorse for your perceptions. If you come into my comments section acting like a fool, calling people weirdos who aren't even there to defend themselves, or otherwise acting boorish, then you can guarantee I'm going to look down on you and have to warn you about your unwarranted behavior.

I don't care who you are, what your views and beliefs are, I want you to express yourself freely in my comments. If you want to attack other people, to justify attacking people with humor, then you can take that somewhere it is acceptable. Performative cruelty is not going to be an acceptable form of communication in my comments section, ever.

I make exceptions to perceptions based on ongoing dialogue between individuals and their preferred relationship dynamics, but you wouldn't walk into a room full of strangers and start blurting your judgments; so don't use the anonymity and safety of the internet to do just that. If this upsets you, well, you're probably part of the problem and I'm sad that we couldn't come to a more fair and impartial conclusion.

In closing: If you want me to keep up with you, then you need to catch up with me so I know of the existence of your desires! Always be kind, and seek to be fair and impartial!