Blogging has shown me something basic about humanity and communication.

The chances of writing something in a way that somebody will find offensive is 100 percent. If I write about sexuality, I’ll inevitably communicate a detail that pisses off walruses that enjoy penguins. When expressing an opinion, some genius will sooner or later have the courage to stand up and say, “hey, that is your opinion and doesn’t mean anything to me!”

Everybody knows that the world is full of intelligent people and that they all share wisdom on the internet.

So I will take a moment to say that I am not apologetic for writing from my own experience and seeing the world through the eyes, brain and soul I was given. I’m a college educated white guy. I write like a college educated white guy. The way I see things because of how I was raised and the experiences of my past, doesn’t make me a racist or hate people of other colors. But it does mean I will accidentally on occasion put my foot in my mouth.

Since I was born as an American, I write with the perspective of having grown up in this country. I love world culture and have had the opportunity to live in other countries. The influence of growing up in a western culture has influenced me in certain ways.

I’m not apologetic for writing from my experiences as a hetero-sexual male.

I don’t know what it is like to be a woman. I’m also completely out of my league when writing about attraction and sexuality for homosexuals or transgenders or any other type of gender and sexual orientation that I have zero experience or interest in. I can’t write and speak for individuals who are different from me.

Since I was born in poverty and lived on welfare, I write like a person who has zero clue about prosperity and the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Because I am single, I write about relationships from my experiences of being single and the turbulence of the modern dating world. As a long-haired vegetarian hippy-yoga teaching art-loving music-performing person, I write from the experiences that gives me.

It is far beyond reasonable to even contemplate that I write and can say anything accurate about anyone.

Please understand, I believe that how anyone lives their life is ideal for them.

I do my best to understand people in their rich variety. My friends span the globe, financial spectrum, of many races, genders, sexual orientations, belief structures and lifestyle. Though I’ve not had the opportunity to become friends with a walrus.

If you think I am judging or criticizing you, I am not. At least, not deliberately. And I make every effort to understand the scope of human experience, to relinquish judgments, to be at peace with how humanity and human nature.

Honestly, I just don’t give a damn what you do with your life, how you live it, who you love, and why you do what you do.

The life I have been given has an expiration date, and fretting or being emotional or taking the time to understand every possible variation of life and find politically correct language that will please every human being and walrus who reads my blogs is outside my scope of possibility.

This means that penguin loving walrus’ will eventually find something to get angry about when I slip up and say something wrong.

And when that happens, the emotional reaction has nothing to do with me. I’m not writing for the New York Times and stating facts about life. So the emotional, knee-jerk responses from the arctic circle stating that I know nothing about penguin-walrus love are totally spot on. Not trying to step on any toes.

I also expect a certain amount of maturity from people who write and read blogs. Sometimes I’ll apologize. It’s the polite thing to do. I really am not trying to be insensitive or step on toes. I really am not judging anyone at the emotional level, and don’t care to put my life and energy into being that kind of person.

If you want somebody to speak with a voice that meets your needs, expectations and perspectives in life, then that somebody isn’t me.

That possibility is available for anyone who has the experience, gender, perspective, wisdom, intelligence and knowledge to stand up and speak out.

Go look in the mirror—the vitriolic passion expressed in the comments demonstrates your intelligence and savvy ability to share with the world the message that lights you up and means so much to you.

Granted, it is far easier to troll on the internet. Not that I am putting trolls down. I like green. And if you are a purple troll, purple is great too. Or some other color I forget to mention, I’ll just say I enjoy that one as well.

I stand before the internet, judged for being human.

Thank you for reminding me over and over how much there is to learn about the internet. I appreciate your taking the time to open your mouth and let me know how wrong I am about you and your lifestyle.

It’d be my preference for you to stand up and communicate to the world what life means to you. The experiences that light you up. The music of your heart and soul inspires people.

So to those of you who can take the time to write with complaints, criticisms and put people down for taking the time to write their own personal life experiences and perspectives I offer you this challenge:

Get off your butt and write to the world.

Because I know its impossible to ever please you. And I can’t write what you can write. I am a totally different person with a completely different life path, past, and future.

It is your responsibility responsibility to communicate your truth.

Not mine.

Writer’s Note: There is zero sarcasm in this piece. I am not a sarcastic person. Not at all. 

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Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo: Claire P./Flickr