Dreamer’s World November 10 2015 - The Price of Writing

I suddenly feel like I have lost an old friend. There is a writer who I have followed, or rather a blogger, for several years now that has decided it is time to stop their blog. I don’t know the reasons behind their decision, they indicated that they has lost anonymity and that was something very important to them. I will miss reading their blog, but I wish them well in whatever they decide to do next.
This got me to thinking about writing and why I write. When I first began writing my own blog I was, and still am, always careful to put only things I want in here. I realize that there is a line that divides what we all want to share with the world and what we wish to keep private. As other people have read and followed and commented on my blog I am very grateful, I have not reached that critical mass point. Writing remains an intensely personal experience for me. There are times when I am sorely tempted to write about things, but I hold back because I cannot bring myself to let every little detail of my life out for the world to see.
I suppose this is a dilemma that all bloggers face at one time or another. My friend seems to believe that they crossed that line and I am in no position to judge them on it. If they no longer find joy in writing their blog then it is the right time for them to stop writing. What does hit me though, is how they described their reaction to some people who chose to comment on their blog. I will have to assume that these posts were unwelcome because they were thinly veiled personal attacks on the writer. I don’t know if there were actual threats made, I certainly hope not.
We can all sit back and rattle away on our keyboards with anonymity. It is only when we begin to open ourselves up to others that we run the risk of being attacked in one form or another. Writing is a joy, it should never bring pain. Writing should be a way to help purge pain at times for all of us. It is at times like this that we find those who we are meant to find, and that is 99% positive. Sadly, there will always be those who cannot be anything but mean and destructive in their observations. How each of will face those times is a personal matter.
For myself, as mentioned earlier, I try to maintain the wall between my personal life and what I write about here. In a way this is limiting when I write, but I am seeing the results of what can happen when negative people decide to attack someone who is brave enough to share more than I would.
I wish that there was something that I could do to dissuade my friend from their decision. Then I realize that as a friend, my position is to support them in their decision. I will miss reading their posts, I wish that I had made even more positive comments than I already have. I wish that I could help them through this difficult time, but we are friends in the cloud only. It should be obvious by now that the name of the blog won’t be found here. That is out of respect to my friend. I hope that they find the strength to return again sometime in the future. Until then, I wish them nothing but Peace and Happiness.