Making the grade

 

You know, a lot of my rants never even make it on the blog. No joke. See those flames in the background? They're for real. There are certain things that really make me burn. There is, however, this little thing called discretion. I do have some sense of it, believe it or not.

When it comes to personal issues and things that I'm passionate about, it may take me several drafts to tone down my anger and slow my roll. And sometimes, I just feel way too strongly about things to write a politically correct and non-offensive post at all. Yes, there are subjects that are off limits, even for me.

Now, granted, I have been known to hit that publish button before working out all the bugs. After all, some things just need to be said. But you may be surprised at how much I hold back, even then.

So, what is my point? Well, the thing is that if you're offended by my rants, I can't even imagine how you would feel about my first drafts. They can be quite scathing. You know, it's kind of like when you write that letter to your ex. It takes a few dry runs before you glean out all the anger, doesn't it?

Honestly, I believe most writers go through a similar process. Oh, they may not all drift as far off stream as I do. I never have thought anywhere near that proverbial box. Still, I can almost guarantee that those politically correct writers are holding a few things back for the sake of common courtesy. They can't possibly be that nice. We all have our inner “beasts” to tame after all.

So, what do I hold back? What doesn't make the grade? Well, for instance, in my vegan posts, I don't tell you anywhere near all the outright evil things that are done to other animals. Some of those things are hard enough for me to bear without you having to deal with them too.

Basically, I use just enough shock and awe to get you thinking and do a little of your own research. Besides, I can't possibly teach you everything I know on my pet subjects. I've been researching them every day of my life for over 40 years, after all. That's a lot of information.

Plus, it took me all of those 40 plus years to learn it. Conveying it all to you would likely take the same amount of time. That's time I do not have. Besides, I want you to take your own journey through life at your own pace. TMI can discourage that process.

I'm not here to cause you pain or stress. You don't have to agree with me, obviously. My goal is just to make you think a little deeper and maybe toss that box to one side once in a while. It's so freeing to think on your own and stand up for what you believe is right!

So, there you go. Not everything makes the grade as far as being included in my posts. Kind of scary considering what does, isn't it? Oh, I know that I don't hold back much. Believe me. I even scare myself sometimes. But honestly, if you caught even a glimpse of those first drafts, you'd know that I do try to spare the sensibilities of my readers for the most part.

For the most part....