A long-overdue bit of feedback from the management

Dear Readers,

I am pleased and proud that so many of you take the time to come here. While you are not the primary reason I started this thing called treppenwitz, you are certainly among the primary reasons I haven't gotten around to stopping.

I love writing about the stuff in my head... and I love reading what you think of that stuff.  While I don't always get a chance to respond to every comment (much as I really, really want to), be assured that I read, and genuinely consider, every single one.

I write primarily for myself.  I want you here and encourage you to leave feedback to what you read here.  But I am sharing my thoughts with you... not sharing myself.

Our relationship is one of words and ideas.  Be assured, I have learned far more from the collective 'you' than any of you have learned from me. However (and this is a really big 'however'), when your comments cross the line from addressing something I've said, into that very personal territory called 'judging me', you lose my ear, my interest and my patience.  I am not a child in whom your stated disappointment is likely to produce contrition or improved behavior.

For instance, if you feel that something I've written is insulting, demeaning, or just plain wrong... let me know.  Chances are pretty good that you are 100% correct and either the criticism is  expected (and deserved), or I made a decision that what I had to say was more important (at that moment) than the risk of insulting or demeaning someone... or of being wrong.

So yes... go ahead and tell me when you agree as well as when you disagree. But if you go beyond my comment, and move on to me... well, we have a problem.  You see, I don't know you and you don't really know me (much as you think you do).  When you read a few posts (out of more than 1000 I've posted) and decide, based on that small sampling, that I am anti-this or pro-that... kindly keep it to yourself.  You are almost certainly wrong.

When you finish one of my occasional rants that includes some ill-advised language or offensive sentiments, and you feel disappointed in me... keep it to yourself.  To feel disappointment in a stranger you (possibly) admire is perfectly valid and appropriate.  To express that disappointment in a direct comment is to cross some important lines.

If you enjoy coming here even half as much as I look forward to your presence and contributions, then I'd say we have a pretty wonderful thing going on here.  But I am not open to emotional blackmail.  If you think that at my age, threats of boycotting or solemn finger-wagging is going to change the essence of who I am, you are, sadly, trying to teach the wrong pig to sing.

[And no... this is not the angry post I was sitting on yesterday.  That one is still incubating quite nicely beneath my ample posterior.]