It's Not You, It's Me

Last week, I shared some thoughts about Facebook. And I hit some nerves. And I might have accidentally stepped on a few toes. Oops. My first thought was, "My blog, my rules. If you don't like it, you don't have to read it." Not the best response on my part, but an honest one.

One of the conversations that came about as a result of my post was the idea that people will say more online - and say it more bluntly - than they ever would in real life, to your face. Tone of voice is lost in online media: blogs, Facebook, Twitter. 

I mentioned the tone of voice issue to my husband after telling him about the comments. He thought about it for a second, and then - when I thought he would say, "you're right - it's hard to work with that" - he challenged me instead: Work on being a better writer. Make sure you choose your words carefully, and clearly articulate your point. 

It's one of the reasons that I love him. Rather than telling me what I wanted to hear, he told me what I needed to hear. Instead of throwing the blame on you - the readers of Busy Nothings - he told me I needed to work on my writing skills, and accurately communicate tone of voice through the written word. In fact, the last thing he said as he walked away was, "The written word is a powerful tool."

Point taken. 

So here's my promise to you - the old and new readers alike - I will continue to use this blog as my practice area for honing my writing skills. I may not always get it right, and I'm quite sure I'll step on more toes in the future, but I ask you to be patient, to be kind, and to stick around (like sweet Kim B.) even when you don't agree. 

Let's learn how to engage in a conversation, rather than mindless confrontation.