The Scales Are Finely Balanced …

Hi All

Riddle me this; does it take a certain kind of person to succeed in this virtual world? I ask this question because I am thinking that it does. What kind of person? Well, obviously not my kind. And before you start to laugh and point the finger of failure at me, that isn’t quite what I mean.

I haven’t failed. I have, in fact,  succeeded. In am in various groups. I am the admin in two of these groups. I have almost 3,000 Twitter followers and excuse me, but I really can’t be bothered to go and check out the Facebook figures right now but they, too, are healthy. So to all extents and purposes I consider  I have  succeeded in doing what I intended to do in the eight months that I have been ‘doing’ this virtual stuff.

During this time I am pretty sure that I have worked my way up many people’s noses, as they most certainly have mine. You see, I am highly principled soul by nature and when I see some of the actions by others it sends me into orbit.

A good writer friend of mine has recently pulled the plug on Facebook and Twitter, telling me that her time is better spent elsewhere and that she got sick and tired of having to ingratiate herself to others because it was expected. You scratch my back  and I’ll scratch yours attitude. You say my book is the next blockbuster and I’ll say that yours is the new J.K.Rowling clone.

And what about those who don’t need you to scratch their backs because they have found a big stick and can quite happily scratch their own, thank you very much. These people are more than happy to flaunt their successes. ‘I have done this.’ And ‘I have and done that,’ And ‘Oh sweet Jesus, look at me, aren’t I just the bees knees?’ NO, sunbeam, you are not the bees knees, not in my estimation. In my estimation you are a pratt!

Sorry. No I’m not. Why should I be?

These people have a very different viewpoint to the majority of us. Well they must have because they spend so much time with their heads up their own butts. My dear mum, who passed away fourteen years ago this month, used to say, ‘Gail, self praise is no praise.’ This wasn’t a mantra that I grew up with implanted in my brain until I believed it. In fact, when mum first said these words I didn’t have the slightest inkling what she was talking about … but now, dear mum, I do. And she was right. Self praise is, in fact, no praise.

I have another friend who is seriously thinking of ‘pulling the plug.’ She fell so deeply into the pool of virtual crap that she is lucky to be struggling out with her life and senses still intact. Sensitive, good-hearted souls have it hard in this world. Upset some unbalanced individual and there you go …a one star review on a piece of super writing. There in black and white to influence the easily influenced. And can we fight back. No.

So, it appears that dear friends are falling like flies. And now I have to admit that I am seriously questioning the ‘values’ of all of this. Frankly, I don’t think it sells books. I think it fills time. I think it makes lovely friends here and there. I think it makes jealous enemies. I think the whole thing, for me, needs reviewing? As dear old Fagin sang, ‘I am reviewing the situation …’

They say that it takes all kinds to make a world and I accept this and in fact agree. So I guess it follows that it takes all kinds to make social networks and virtual worlds? But it is beginning to annoy my finely balanced scales. One more dollop of virtual crap landing on one side of them and they will tip and I shall never regain the balance.

Unfortunately – for you, my dearest, dearest of friends and lovely people – this will be the last place that I exit. Why? Because I love you all. How could I not? You support me. Laugh with me. Cry with me. Rant with me. (Take Richards side over mine!) Etc. Etc.

And before I go I would just like to tell you how many paperback Mulligan’s I have sold … AS IF!!!!

Take care my lovelies x

 

PS And NO it isn’t you Jaspreet!!! Or any of my other friends. OK? Good!