A WRITING CHALLENGE - AM STYLE

I HAVE CLOSED THE COMMENTS ON THIS PARTICULAR POST SINCE THE ROBOTS SEEM TO LOVE THIS POST.  IT IS BEING READ QUITE FREQUENTLY....  IF ANYONE STUMBLES ON THIS POST AND WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING, JUST LEAVE ME A COMMENT IN ANY POST AND I'LL MOVE IT HERE.



Yesterday, Marie Ennis O’Connor started quite a discussion on her blog.  It’s a must read but if you want to finish this first, I’ll give you a VERY brief synopsis.  Once again, she brought the importance of our words back into the spotlight.   Specifically, Marie talks about the death notices of Robin Gibb and those ever-famous words, “lost his battle.”

That’s all you are getting from me.  You have to read the piece and the comments.  She’s eloquent.  I’m the mostly irreverent, wise cracking court jester.   Her words were very timely for me.  The night before, I was up far too late.   This social media stuff is killing me.  First, it was the west coasters.  As I’m staring at my carriage, which is about to be turned back into a pumpkin, they are watching prime time TV.  THEN, I set my sites east.  Coffee is being poured on the other side of the Atlantic.  As the songs goes, “Here I am……clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, stuck in the middle.”  The only difference?  I am the clown, the joker AND the one stuck in the middle.

Why was up I too late the other night?  I read something posted on Ann’s Facebook page.  Ann is a Stage IV patient (and she was attacked on her OWN blog about how she should be eating better which PISSED ME OFF since, when one is retching from the toxins being coursed through one’s veins, ANY calories count…but I’m totally off topic here).

Ann took exception with something that was posted in an online support forum.  The section of this forum is specifically for Stage IV breast cancer patients and a caregiver decided it would be a good idea to share her sorrow about her mom’s rapidly deteriorating condition.  I don’t begrudge anyone who needs to reach out for support.  BUT, if a particular area in a support forum is set up for a specific group of people, I don’t think it’s appropriate for anyone who is NOT a part of "that club" to participate unless they tread very very VERY lightly.  At most, empathize.  But, a “war” story describing in graphic detail, the horrors of the way death is unfolding?  When the “audience” is a group of TERMINAL breast cancer patients?

Words Matter.  Those words were simply out of line.  Way out of line.

When I read Marie’s blog yesterday morning, I remembered that her suggestion that we consider hosting “writing challenges” on our blogs.  In my typical, long-winded fashion, I’ve finally arrived at the real reason for this post.  I’ve come up with my own writing challenge and I hope at least some of you will share your thoughts with me.

What are those phrases, those words, those things you’ve heard spoken (or written) that have caused you to become irritated?  Annoyed?  Angered to the “I’ll seriously hurt you” point?  Gotten cranky over?  Were they said to you?  About you?

No rules.  It’s a free for all on this blog.  Share away.  If you want it to be A Real Challenge, just select ONE.  Me?  Not so much on the picking one thing.  I’m just cranky over everything.

I will start.  It’s only fair.

Here’s something that was repeated to me.  It was a bit of advice dispensed to a breast cancer patient.  I’m wound pretty tightly so most everything will set me in motion but this HAD to have been as close to “I’ll punch your lights out” as it gets.  If the words were spoken to me, about me, I’m pretty sure a closed fist would have followed.

“You obviously aren’t praying hard enough or you would be better.”

Your turn.  Go!