Sandra Dodd

Because I love Deb Lewis’s facility with twisting English into balloon dogs if she feels like it, I asked her to write something with parts I provided. So it’s not “Deb Lewis writing” in the best sense, but when I put it on the page where it will live, I will link to my Deb Lewis collection for sure. :-)

Some of you will probably see right away which page of mine this is destined for. Maybe (I’m thinking) I will build links into the code of that page and then hotlink the heck out of this:

_____________________________________

Dear Sandra,

I struggled with your request for this intro. It's been a real battle. Left to my own devices, I wouldn't have catered to your every whim. I'm not some version of a short order cook, after all. I shouldn't have to be at your beck and call. I'm not your slave. I don't owe you anything. The world doesn't revolve around you. It's like you want everything handed to you on a silver platter. As if you have to be waited on hand and foot. Well, I suppose there’s no sense in throwing a fit. I'll finish what I started.

And about your readers, they're glued to their screens, taking the easy way out. They've turned into zombies. You could talk until you're blue in the face, but you'll never be able to do enough. If you give them an inch, they'll take a mile. They are manipulative, and you need to teach them you are not their puppet. You might have to resort to bribery to get them to stop fussing and fighting. They've seriously got the gimmes. You could literally stuff good information down their throats, and they'd still be bouncing off the walls, all hyped up. You could leave them to fend for themselves but then they'd be at each other's throats. They really feel if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

This will spoil your appetite for helping others, but it serves you right. I'm at my wit's end. Whatever. You do you. Just remember, all things in moderation.

Namaste
Deb
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So fun!!

Sandra

lisajceledon


Can I write fluffy responses here? That was so good it made me laugh out loud multiple times!!! It is so delicious to witness wit and skill displayed with flair! (And the description of twisting english into balloon animals was also very yummy).

Thanks Deb, and Sandra,

Lisa Celedon


Sandra Dodd

-=-Can I write fluffy responses here?-=-

No! Please don’t! But this isn’t fluffy:

-=-That was so good it made me laugh out loud multiple times!!! It is so delicious to witness wit and skill displayed with flair! (And the description of twisting english into balloon animals was also very yummy).-=-

Praise of Deb Lewis is earned and good, and people should read more Deb stuff here:

http://sandradodd.com/deblewis
Or search around in this forum, and if you find great Deb-writing that I didn’t save, send it to me. :-)

I suppose I opened myself up for fluff by leaving a mystery. :-)

What Deb wrote is for http://sandradodd.com/phrases
Phrases to Hear and Avoid

What it seems (reasonably, I see) that it could be about is

http://sandradodd.com/deleted
Deleted fluff posts

I know both of those have some garbage in the text now. My browser host company “new improved” and now curly quotes and emdashes have turned to gobbledy-code. Gradually, if I live long enough, I will fix them all.

So many years under the bridge (to use but ruin a cliche)…

I also have the collection of supportive messages that aren’t really supportive.
http://sandradodd.com/support.html

And (though it’s not added to as much as it used to be, I found one in my notes this morning I need to add… “If I let…”
http://sandradodd.com/ifilet

Does anyone know the negative space personality theory / comment about people being the space between their friends, experiences, influences … and I don’t even know if it was an Eric Erikson quote or something from a movie or what. :-) It seems perhaps that someone who read those four pages and determinded not to do, say or write anything that could contribute to any of them would right then and there be a better person, more thoughtful, better parent and all that.

Those last three, I made to have a link to send when I reject a post. “Phrases” is for people to consider that they might be parroting what they’ve heard, rather than thinking clearly and personally and then expressing their own real thoughts. I think some people and personalities find that easier than others, but I also think that a personality that cannot, at all, stop speaking in the phrases and voices of older relatives or the last friend she talked to will find it difficult to unschool successfully.

Sandra