Consumer
Elder Statesman
You can't cheat an honest man...you can't blackmail an open book.
To be blunt, I've always subscribed to both of these statements (or more accurately, the one combined). I've also, with more than a hint of hypocrisy, cautioned others about revealing too much personal information on line.
I'm not in a custody battle, my identity hasn't been stolen, and basically my reputation is still intact. However, I find the emotional toll of wearing my heart on my sleeve and giving out how I feel, live, and love on-line to finally be due. In short, I have been a bit of a fool. Meh. This is a troll board, I'm sure some of you will use that, but a few might actually see it for what it is because I've been here for a long time, and not usually as a "troll".
There is an element of narcissism, vanity, and a weakness of ego in self-revelation. I've always justified it by telling myself that it's all a tool of self-exploration and self-knowledge. That I'm using all of YOU (the readers) as a sounding board to work out my own thoughts. I now doubt all of that. It's a grand game. "Look at me, I'm unusual". Indeed I am.
So here's the last one. The last piece basically to close this behavior down. The stage goes dark. The flash and lure of BDSM and all of the rest must be put away. I'm really not the one to give advice to anyone anymore when I've lost pretty much everything.
I often tell my son, who is 4, "don't do this", with the un-spoken sub-text of "because I did it and it hurt". Of course, part of being a parent is knowing that you can't shield them from hurt, that their own experiences are going to have to be gone through, even if you tell them not to. They won't learn unless it's from their own "gut".
However, you always hope they'll listen to you and maybe get to avoid a particular scar.
Well, for 99% of this board I don't feel particularly paternal, but for some odd reason, the teacher in me or the control-freak, I keep trying to "help" (see above vanity/narcissism statements). So here goes. The last piece:
Keep your heart off of your sleeve. No one else cares, and no one is going to be "helped" by it. Keep your mouth shut (figuratively and literally). The only thing your heart is doing out there is providing a target.
I'm not "leaving forever". I'm still here, I'll still snipe and comment. But the ironic persona is all you get. Yeah, most of you are wiser than me about that.
Terminus Est.
To be blunt, I've always subscribed to both of these statements (or more accurately, the one combined). I've also, with more than a hint of hypocrisy, cautioned others about revealing too much personal information on line.
I'm not in a custody battle, my identity hasn't been stolen, and basically my reputation is still intact. However, I find the emotional toll of wearing my heart on my sleeve and giving out how I feel, live, and love on-line to finally be due. In short, I have been a bit of a fool. Meh. This is a troll board, I'm sure some of you will use that, but a few might actually see it for what it is because I've been here for a long time, and not usually as a "troll".
There is an element of narcissism, vanity, and a weakness of ego in self-revelation. I've always justified it by telling myself that it's all a tool of self-exploration and self-knowledge. That I'm using all of YOU (the readers) as a sounding board to work out my own thoughts. I now doubt all of that. It's a grand game. "Look at me, I'm unusual". Indeed I am.
So here's the last one. The last piece basically to close this behavior down. The stage goes dark. The flash and lure of BDSM and all of the rest must be put away. I'm really not the one to give advice to anyone anymore when I've lost pretty much everything.
I often tell my son, who is 4, "don't do this", with the un-spoken sub-text of "because I did it and it hurt". Of course, part of being a parent is knowing that you can't shield them from hurt, that their own experiences are going to have to be gone through, even if you tell them not to. They won't learn unless it's from their own "gut".
However, you always hope they'll listen to you and maybe get to avoid a particular scar.
Well, for 99% of this board I don't feel particularly paternal, but for some odd reason, the teacher in me or the control-freak, I keep trying to "help" (see above vanity/narcissism statements). So here goes. The last piece:
Keep your heart off of your sleeve. No one else cares, and no one is going to be "helped" by it. Keep your mouth shut (figuratively and literally). The only thing your heart is doing out there is providing a target.
I'm not "leaving forever". I'm still here, I'll still snipe and comment. But the ironic persona is all you get. Yeah, most of you are wiser than me about that.
Terminus Est.
