As I sit here writing, there is a strange mixture of wind, snow and volcanic ash swirling around outside my windows. It’s tempting to yell, “The sky is falling!” and at times it has felt that way. If you had told me last week that a State Legislator would send me a threatening email telling me he was going to out me, and reveal my real identity on his official legislative newsletter, I’d have thought to myself, “Never in a million years would someone be so foolhardy.” But once again I have overestimated the common sense of Rep. Mike Doogan. And here we are.
I have to admit this has taken a bit of getting used to. I’m not one to crave the spotlight, and I generally enjoy my boring little life. So, I’m needing a little time to regroup. Thank you all for the understanding, and indulging this naturally private and introverted blogger who normally posts pretty frequently. Public figures choose a public life. Private citizens don’t necessarily choose that. The possibility is always there for a pseudonymous blogger to become public, but we’d like to think that this would be at the time and in the manner of that person’s choosing….without the unwanted help of a State Representative, who is, after all, supposed to be working for us.
In this stressful time, I have been absolutely overwhelmedby your messages of love and support. I have read every single comment on the blog, and at times I laughed, at times I was brought to tears of joy and grief, and at times I was stunned by the insight and clarity of your thinking and assessment of the situation. And I loved it all. Truly, you all gave me a soft cushion on which to ride this rocky road after being dragged out of my cave. For those of you who have sent emails, or messages on Facebook, I have not yet had the opportunity to read all of them, but I will.
I have not only appreciated the personal support for me and my family (and Brian the moose), but I appreciate that you all getthe big picture, and the most important issue, which is not me. The big picture, the thing that should outrage all of us, despite political party or affiliation, is this: an elected official in a position of power and authority utilized state resources to deliberately and with malice, knowing there would be negative consequences, impinged on the free speech and privacy rights of a private citizen.
Heartening as well, have been the emails and comments of support I have received from conservatives who love and respect the right to free speech as much as those further left on the political spectrum, and who also recognize the big picture. There have been messages of support from the conservative community that have made me hopeful for finding common ground, even with those with whom we thought it would be impossible. This is a good thing for all of us.
I am working on a new post. It was difficult to know quite where to begin. As a friend said, it’s a bit like losing your favorite instrument, and having to learn how to play a new one. But I’ve enjoyed some down time with family, and the challenge of learning to play this new and strange instrument and seeing what I can do with it. Because there’s no doubt, things are different. The next post will be one of my favorite kinds - a good story. We haven’t had one of those in a while. The ending is uncertain, but it’s one that should resonate with all of us.
Thank you, thank you again for your love and support. Even though I’m a “word person” I know I will never fully be able to express to you my deep and abiding gratitude for this community.
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*I’ll be putting up open threads as they are needed when the comments get clogged.
*The site will be down for a couple hours tonight, while ServerGuy outfits us with a brand new server! Thanks ServerGuy!
And yes, I’ll always be AKMuckraker.
