Sticks and Stones

People can be nasty. I wish I could say I have not learned this first hand in dealing with friends, co-workers, other writers, neighbors, strangers, even people at my own church. It's in our natures. If you think differently from somebody else and have the backbone to express it in verbal or written form, you're opening yourself up to criticism. That's the way of the world and why writers are some of the most courageous people I know.

I am, however, Pollyanna enough to believe that professional courtesy is still king among writers and will reign at times when it matters the most but bottom line, if you're a writer, sooner or later some other writer will read you with scorn, jealousy, disdain, resentment or disgust. I just hope when it happens to me, it's not one of my idols.

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