Given the Chance Would You do it Again

Someone asked me recently if I had to do it over again would I still have written Average Joe’s Story: Quest for Confidence. The truth is I don’t know. The achievement of getting published was a rewarding one, but it had some serious drawbacks. Besides the time required and the financial commitment, there was my publisher’s weighted recommendation of becoming active on the various social media platforms.

Originally my objection to blogging, Facebook and Twitter was the investment of time that was required. After the past couple of weeks my objection to social media has become the countless trolls that reside there.

I was scrolling through my timeline when I came across a post from one of my social media acquaintances. Generally I like reading this acquaintance’s posts because he is willing to take on controversial material in a civilized manner, a rarity I find in the e-world. However, it wasn’t one of his posts, but one of his comments that caught my eye. In his comment this acquaintance attacked a friend of mine who posted a comment that the acquaintance took exception to. The acquaintance’s problem was that he chose to to post about an issue he had an emotional connection to, and as a result neutrality went clear out the window.

You can try to avoid the negativity that social media is littered with, but it really requires not having a presence if you truly want to avoid it. As a cancer patient that has had multiple surgeries and chemo regimens, and is hospitalized on average once every three months I treat negativity as detrimental to my health.

It’s the concern for my well being, that is assaulted by the negativity of the trolls lurking in the shadows of cyberspace, that makes me regret ever writing Average Joe’s Story. I had a conversation with a friend about the subject, and she blurted out, “Now a days people are just mean…I think we are on the verge of social disorder.” After taking inventory of the abundance of animosity that fuels the e-world I have to agree with her, and because I chose to be an author I’m now stuck with it.

© Christopher L. Hedges and AverageJoesStory.com, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Christopher L. Hedges and AverageJoesStory.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.