Was It Something I Wrote?

Raise your hand if you remember Jim Bouton.  According to Wickipedia:

James Alan “Jim” Bouton (English pronunciation: /ˈbaʊtn/; born March 8, 1939) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is also the author of the controversial baseball book Ball Four, which was a combination diary of his 1969 season and memoir of his years with the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, and Houston Astros.

Anyhow, after a whole bunch of baseball guys got really upset behind Ball Four, Bouton wrote another book, one called I’m Glad You Didn’t Take It Personally.  For reasons that don’t really matter here or anywhere else, I always thought the second book was called, Was It Something I Said?  This was undoubtedly the result of projection on my part.  For those of  you with better things to do than know about “projection,” let’s just say projection is me not liking something about myself soooo much that, rather than believe I really believe it, I believe YOU believe it and say you are wrong.  In fact  you are more than wrong.  You are so messed up that–when the truth is finally told–what  you claim to be true about me is actually true about  you, but you are sooo unable to handle the truth that you try to pin it on me. I, of course, filled with infinite wisdom and extraordinary courage, know that you are flawed and love you anyway...maybe.

Does this sound like it’s actually leading somewhere. Yeah, well it is. 

I just checked the stats on this blog.  As it turns out almost 200 folks (197 to be exact) have taken a look at what I wrote last week. One!  One and only one made a comment.  I need feedback!  To repeat:

I need feedback.

I mean, I write serious stuff and humorous stuff and, here I really try, things to get people thinking or participating or just plain pissed, but hardly anybody drops a Comment.  Now the reason you get an email from me whenever I post a new bit of stuff is because we’ve met, I’ve heard you say whatever it is  you were saying, and I know you’ve got a brain.  I know  you’ve got something to say, even if it’s just,

“Stop writing to me.  I don’t need this (stuff) anymore.  I’m too busy worrying about the economy and planning my next vacation.”

So, okay, so I can accept that.  21 years of social work with addicts, almost 13 years of marriage, 10 years of zen and a month of Shaking Meditation (be sure I’ll write about that in the future!) have taught me acceptance.  Okay, I’ve got it: you’re all sharp but quiet.  Well, maybe you know some loudmouths.  Maybe you know some folks who just can’t help expressing “Oh  yeah’s” or “me too’s” or “You gotta be kiddin’s” or even an occasional “Hey, that’s just like the time I…” or even a “What about if…?”

If  you do know or even if you suspect you know somebody like that, please send them the link to this blog.  As I may have mentioned

I need feedback!

Hell, I’ll even take suggestions.

As for the link, it’s  https://goldberg.wordpress.com

And in the words of the actors who played the brothers who made the wine coolers,

Thanks for your support.