Rant post. Best just skip this one.
I know. I’m not professional like the rest of the health talk world. That ship long sailed, somewhere around the time I started referring to you, my darling reader, as kittehs, as well as the countless references to my lack of Indian style beards, and probably the countless jabs at mainstream optometry.
Although that last one, I’m really having on my list as a thing to stop doing.
Today is one of those days.
Baby didn’t sleep for one half second. Poop, eat, cry, all night long. The girl, also extra cranky. And then this morning I get the first ever refund request, with the explanation that the program didn’t work for that individual (not the first ever refund – just the first ever that made me sad). And being that I worked with this gentleman in the forum, I know he tried, I’m particularly bummed. We are no longer at 100% success rate. Burn it, burn it all.
Then there was one e-mail suggesting that my optometry derision is off putting. Which, I know. I’m working on improving that.
To top it all off, this gem also in this morning’s e-mail collection:
Fair points. The e-mail series is in fact riddled with atrocious grammar and spelling. But is the tone really necessary? Actually I’m probably imagining the tone (adjectives though, come on).
I sit here, sleep deprived, bummed that I let down a student (the earlier refund thing), getting chewed out that I make fun of optometrists. And then this person, sounding like she could walk up to the next corner eye guru shop, find the next eye guru who is also an English professor, who really, really needs her money and would to do just anything to make her happy.
I don’t need the money. I don’t want fame. This is a passion project, I do it because I want to. If I choose to have every other word misspelled, and if I say no to 15k USD and free first class flights because I’d rather be at home changing diapers? Yup, that’s the benefit of doing something because you love it, not because you require people’s money or approval.
I could stop right this minute, go buy a large sail boat and sit off the coast of Greece, sipping whatever Greek people on boats sip on, listening to the baby scream. At least there wouldn’t be accountants complaining about contractor invoices from 18 months ago, or readers outraged with my poor handling of e-mails.
Somebody tell me who else in their right mind would not pick sail boat and Greece?
And that’s probably not you. Lots of really worthwhile e-mails and positive feedback as well. Actually the one thing that consistently gets me to come back, is all the great e-mails and that I just can’t quit now when a whole lot of people are really getting so much out of this site.
Can you tell, I’m cranky? I shouldn’t post these things. I know. Probably shouldn’t have responded to our darling reader requiring an English major to handle all communication:
I try to be nice.
I do love feedback, even if it’s not flattering. Hey Jake, you know your e-mails look like a three-year old wrote them in crayon. They suck a little bit and it’d probably be neat to clean that up so I don’t look like a crazy person when I show them to people. How about it?
Sure. Talk to me not like you’re a plantation owner during slavery times, I’ll be more receptive even. And one of this morning’s tasks actually was to finally go put out a request for proof reading. I listen to feedback (even if I blocked that lady, e-mails, IP addresses, every which way, from ever getting into the course – because I am a small child in so many ways).
And if you’re reading this, thinking … Jake. I sent you a half dozen e-mails with specific suggestions of spelling fixes. If that’s you, I’m infinitely grateful for the help. Truly, 90% of you guys are completely amazing (and very patient).
That’s it. Rant over. Now wise would be to just delete this one, rather than hit “publish”.
Cheers.
-Jake
