I was in a relationship a few months ago that ended rather abruptly when he broke things off.  Uncharacteristically, I picked up a pen and wrote about it.  Prior to that time, I had always left the writing to my artsy friends, believing that I wasn’t a “good writer.”  But when we broke up, I felt like I had no choice but to write.  The words just poured out of me.

With my writer friends’ encouragement, I started this blog as a venue for publishing my work.  People have read my stories, and as predicted, have had their reactions.  And I, in turn, have had my reactions to their reactions (it’s a vicious cycle).  I’ve begun to experience the seemingly unavoidable ups-and-downs that result from hearing other people’s opinions.  My feelings have been all over the emotional continuum but can generally be categorized as:  happy, sad, and pissed.  This emotional roller coaster ride has me thinking that perhaps I could create a list of guidelines about my blog so that we are all on the same page in regard to its content.  Perhaps, things would level out if we all knew what we were getting ourselves into?

In thinking about the format of my blog guidelines, my mind fell upon my favorite childhood book called Happiness is a Warm Puppy, by Charles M. Schulz.  The pages of the book are filled with happiness statements such as, “happiness is sleeping in your own bed” or “happiness is a thumb and a blanket,” which are all accompanied by a complementary illustration.  The repetitive nature of the following list is inspired by this beloved book and will read similarly sans the illustrations (unless we totally luck out and Vanessa decides to bust out a bunch of mood sketches).

 

My beloved book from childhood.

 

 

Guidelines for Enjoying Reading “Flirting With Grey Gardens”

  • You might not want to read my blog (or any of my friends’ blogs) if you don’t like heartbreak (namely mine).
  • You might not want to read my blog (or any of my friends’ blogs) if knowing how I really feel doesn’t work for you.
  • You might not want to read my blog (or any of my friends’ blogs) if you have a tendency to make all of my experiences about you.
  • You might not want to read my blog (or any of my friends’ blogs) if you hate how you feel in the aftermath.

In conclusion, some people just might not want to read my blog.