Oh, my blogger friends, does anything anger you more than regular comments from anonymous posters? I’ve had one that’s been coming by for a few months known only as “Sunshine”. One time when I tried to e-mail “Sunshine,” the e-mail bounced back. It seems his or her e-mail address was a phony…surprise, surprise!
Sunshine’s comments are anything but sunny. Rather, they are malicious, judgmental “messages” for me about how my depression/anxiety is a scam because I “seem” OK (yeah, try living with me), how I’m fooling everyone, how I’m a horrible Christian, and I’m pretty sure I’m the cause of global warming in this person’s eyes.
For a while, whenever I saw that I had a comment to be moderated, my stomach dropped because I didn’t want a electronic “slap in the face” again. Who is this person? Why is he or she sending me these messages? Why does he or she even care? By tracing this person’s IP address, I have discovered that he or she lives in Allentown, which makes me suspicious. Could this be a a person who I’ve treated as a confidant in times of distress or simply someone who stumbled upon my blog because we reside in the same area? I don’t know because “Sunshine” has kept his or her identity hidden.
Which makes me really question how seriously I can take his or her bile. If this person really wanted to be bold, wouldn’t he or she use a real name and provide a real e-mail address? Here I am laying my heart on the line with words about my very real struggles (hear that, Sunshine, real struggles) because I know that there are others out there who wrestle with all these things, too. But I found that Sunshine’s comments changed the way I blogged for a while. It’s freaky to think that someone’s out there just waiting for me to slip up so he or she can send me a message questioning the things that I wonder in the dark.
I’ve deleted all of Sunshine’s comments, but maybe that was my folly. However, I don’t see how it helps the world to see them. Perhaps that was Sunshine’s intention, to provide messages for my eyes only. Obviously, all the comments I approve aren’t glowing testimonials; however, Sunshine’s hit below the belt, so to speak.
You know what, Sunshine, I’m sick of your comments. They’re mean-spirited, unhelpful, and ignorant. If you want to have a conversation with me, then man up (so to speak) and use a real name and a real e-mail address. Here I am using my real name and my real identity for everyone to see, and far be it from me to let cowards like you prey upon my vulnerability by hiding behind a phony name.
Sadly, people like Sunshine aren’t just anonymous internet haters–they’re miserable people who can’t even reveal their true idenity in a scathing comment. Ironically, the words themselves are indicators of the person’s heart, even if he or she is trying to hide behind a fake “pleasant-sounding” name.
She is Beloved 
Amy, I’m sorry that you too are being attacked by someone who is too cowardly to reveal their identity! It never fails that when you take a stand, or try to help by being honest you get attacked by someone… Although we’ve never met face to face, I have admired your honesty and appreciated your kind thoughts and prayers for me and my family as I looked for a job more than once. Please, keep being you and being honest. You ARE helping someone.
Amy,
I love your transparency, your honesty, your “this is the real me” attitude that shines thru your writing.
When you are happy, you show it…frustrated, you show it…irritated by something, you show it…feeling blessed, you show it…having fun, you show it…struggling, you show it.
I so enjoy reading your blog, and I just want to encourage you to keep on being real…you GO, Girl!
Love ya!
I know what you mean. There are some people out there who I believe look for weakness or something that they disagree with just so they can be an a** . The sad thing is that they don’t realize that, while they are pointing out others “flaws”, they are, in turn, showing who they really are. Someone who is either too insecure to show their own weakness thus becoming angry that you can with such ease- OR- are so full of self centeredness they feel the need to “show” others where they “lack”.. Whatever the reason, its WRONG. Glad you had the guts to stand up for yourself!
Ditto what’s been said. My g’ma always said that people who have to put down others in order to make themselves look bigger are cowards, bullies & not worth your time. Just delete their comments without reading them, they’re not worth the pixels they take up.