Drivel

I received this little turd in my comment box this morning.

"Anonymous said...
Is it possible for one person to be as pretentious and full of themselves as you are? Good god, do you actually read the stuff you write? It's bloody awful. You should spend some time talking about how unbelievably insecure you are and how you try to hide it with a bunch of psuedo self confidence that no one buys into. Now that would be interesting. For such a fantastic singer/performer you seem to spend quite a bit of time with the rest of the no-talent hacks at your favourite karaoke venues."


Hmmmm.....

At first, I was taken aback. Then I became angry. And finally, amused.

Let me first say that this comment was left in a "Week in Review" post a few weeks back, where I vented my frustrations at the fact that "everyone knows an opera singer", and I was tired of having to explain myself to every Tom, Dick and Harry who wanted to know if I taught particular kinds of vocal rep.

I am quite sure that Anonymous doesn't know me, or for that matter, has read my blog in its entirety. If they did, they would realize that I DO NOT take myself all that seriously. And I'm sure that Anonymous doesn't know what a blog is used as. For me, my blog is a sounding board. It has taken the place of countless journals over the years, and allows me to vent frustrations, joys, heartbreaks, and the like, as well as keep in touch with friends new as well as old. I have never said that I was a good writer. Quite honestly, I could give two fucks whether or not I am a good writer. That shouldn't be the primary reason a blogger blogs. I blog when I want to get stuff out on the table, or communicate with friends. Or quite possibly, to vent my frustrations on the world's musicians WHO DO take themselves too seriously (did you even READ the post, Anonymous? If you did, maybe you might agree with me).

As far as insecurities go, as a woman, or a person for that matter, of course I am insecure. I never claimed that I wasn't. I'm insecure about the way I look in a black dress. The size of my thighs. Will I be a good mother? Are my students getting all they can out of lessons? Will my theatre company find it's place and audience? Who isn't insecure, Anonymous? For the people that read this blog, which means close friends and family, they know me. And they know who and what I am. They know that with all the insecurities I do have, that there is one thing I am sure of. Want to know what that is, Anonymous? It is that I am a GREAT SINGER. I'm taking it that we have never met before. Or that you have heard me sing. Because if you HAD heard me sing, you'd be eating a giant slice of humble pie.


I posted this earlier, with an endcap of something my husband had said in response to Anonymous' post this morning. But, after receiving another nasty post from another (the same?) Anonymous, I felt the need to clear some stuff up.

1. I have deleted said post that Anonymous is referring to, as I felt it prudent. If you had read the post immediately following, I took back most of the things I said in my impatience and haste, and apologized to many of my legit friends if I had upset them with my ranting and raving. When I wrote this post, I was in a horrible state of mind, tired and in a bad mood.

2. Let's try to understand something- a blog is an online diary. IT SHOULDN'T BE TAKEN SO SERIOUSLY. A blog is the perfect forum to say outlandish things that you wouldn't ordinarily say in a public setting. My blog isn't an advertisement for my career, or for anything else. Which is why my blog address is not included in my business cards, or attached to personal email. I only give out my blog address to close friends and family. In turn, my blog is not for public consumption. If you have read other peoples' blogs, you would realize that all bloggers talk about themselves, their jobs, their passions and their lovelives. Why should mine be any different? And of course it's self-aggrandizement: MOST people are the prinicpal characters in their own diaries. And a blog isn't for your use to blatantly criticize a person you don't know for venting frustrations that have nothing to do with you.

3. Or do my frustations have something to do with you? Who are you??? Why do you feel the need to be so nasty to me? You seem to know me well enough to know what my husband does for a living. Have we met? If so, have I offended you? Obviously you must know me somehow. If I upset you by saying that I have extensive knowledge about vocal pedagogy, why don't we talk about it? Let's start a dialogue. Because this hiding behind the "Anonymous" name is petty and in your words, class-less.