Not All Who Wander Are Lost

Two years.

1000 posts.

300,000 words.

Just once, I let myself get mad at a Troll. I even used -- horror -- the F word in a comment.

And because that Troll was a student -- an anonymous student, at that -- even though I apologized immediately, deleted the offensive comments (mine and his) within an hour of posting them, made my case again to show how he had severly misinterpreted my original words...I've been reported, and am about to answer to the authorities.

I can't sleep. I can't eat. I want to hit a tree, scream out loud.

My life is in this blog. But in the interests of still being able to teach somewhere when this is all over, there will be no new posts until this is resolved. There is a real possibility, in fact, that there will be no more posts, period.

I blog for my daughter. I blog for my sanity. I blog for the discourse, and the advanced thought it brings.

I have no idea what I'd do if I had to end it all.

Here's hoping it comes quickly.

Comments:

I honestly don't think you did anything wrong, and I'll support you no matter what happens.

# posted by

Shaw Israel Izikson : 11:41 PM, November 18, 2004

Damn. You can't leave, you make too much sense. ...rats....

# posted by

Anne : 9:28 AM, November 19, 2004

Ouch! That sucks. From what I've heard from other teachers (and probably other public figures), it's kind of amazing how much they have to adjust their personal habits to take into account their position as someone who's a highly influential person in a community and that the people in that community will react quite passionately to someone who breaks out of those expectations. It's classic lack of rational thought "primitive" tribal activity, very much in line with the American mindset. It's sad.

# posted by

The_Lex : 11:14 AM, November 19, 2004

I haven't read your blog long enough to have the slightest idea about the exact incident. But I am sending my support. It's unfair. Outrageous even. Best of luck.

# posted by

Tricia : 11:23 AM, November 19, 2004

If you cannot curse in a blog then perhaps teachers should stop cursing in the class room? That had been something witnessed by three of my kids coming from teachers ..different teachers. Yet even my kids knew if you push too hard a teacher is human and reacts accordingly. I'm sorry this has happened to you and hope ultimately it doesn't keep you from blogging.

http://orphicsoliloquy.blogdrive.com

# posted by

Anonymous : 11:52 AM, November 19, 2004

Ironically, I have never cursed in a classroom, and would never do it. (Exception: If the word comes up in literature as a function of "voice" or tonality, then it gets said -- but that's not me cursing.)

I never curse out loud at all. I'm just not that kind of guy.

In my head, though, when I'm about as mad as I can get, I curse occasionally.

And I forgot, in this comments fiasco, that the world of the blog is only partially in my head. To others, it happens in THEIR head. And that's why it is so harmful to get mad in the bloggosphere. Damn trolls.

# posted by

boyhowdy : 11:57 AM, November 19, 2004

In respect to Joshua, I will not soil this comment with swearing, although believe me, had I acess to this person, I, a far less civil-mouthed person than he, would assault this little hooligan with every swear, curse, scatological comparison, sexual perversion, foul threat and slanderous accusation my fertile and ANGRY imagination could conjure. But I won't. Instead, with no swearing, I will describe just exactly what I will do if Joshua loses his job over this.

Ahem:

I shall find this "person", and knock them out with chloroform. They will awake to find themselves at the precipice of a tall bridge. They will fell a stinging pain all over them, due to the hundreds of steel hooks I will have threaded through their skin. each hook will be attached to nthe bridge by a steel cable, each cable a different length. This way, as they fall from the bridge, each hook will pull out at a different time, pulling out a little piece of flesh with it, and slowing their descent such that when they hit the water, they will not die on impact, but will be fully conscious, so that the last thing they see before dying will be a glistening mobile made of bits of their skin.

See? No swearing at all.

# posted by

Comic Tools : 12:30 PM, November 19, 2004

Wow. Thaks for the support, Matt and others.

But keep in mind that this all started because the kid totally misread the original entry. In many ways, THAT'S what makes me most mad, and caused me to "lose it." I can't stand knowing that some kid could have come to me to LEARN something, but instead decided to hide behind a bunch of baseless assumptions. It's a lost opportunity as a teacher, and it makes me sad.

What I really really want to do to this kid make him take an English class. Is that weird, or what?

# posted by

boyhowdy : 12:50 PM, November 19, 2004

I just recently found your blog and it's been like a breath of fresh air considering some of the other blogs that are out there.
Recently I've had to deal with a troll type person and it's always surprising how stupid people when they know they can remain anonymous. Things they wouldn't dare say or do outside of cyberspace, they don't think twice about online.
Sadly they don't care how much they hurt people, or how much damage they do.
I'm so sorry that this has happened to you and I hope that you reconsider putting an end to your blog.

# posted by

Me : 11:39 PM, November 19, 2004

See? Lookee lookee at all that support!

You gonna give it up now? Or are you gonna stick it out Muhammad Ali style - float like a butterfly, stink like a bee...

# posted by

Shaw Israel Izikson : 3:47 PM, November 22, 2004