Saturday, January 13, 2024

DON'T MESS WITH MY FRIENDS






                              I believe in Karma.                                                                    


I started blogging in 2009 after I got a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. At that time it helped me turn what I considered a horrible life event into something positive. I learned I could deal with the pain and life events that this disease heaped on me.

Then I started looking and found other bloggers that had the same issues. I found people that became my friends. Even though I'd never met them face to face, we knew each other.

                                                          Soul to soul.

That's not something I have ever taken lightly. These people bared their souls on their blogs and I found people that had my back. Some, sadly, are no longer with us. Laurie Fessler of Hibernations Now and Lynn Marie of A Journey of a Fibromyalgia Fighter and two friends that we lost. Some I still know and have remained friends with through Facebook and Instagram. 

One of these is Jolene Kari Llewellyn. She started a blog called Graceful Agony. Her blog particularly struck home with me. I love her writing style and how she supported all of us who needed support. Her followers could always depend on something that would help them through a tough day. We are still friends and I want you to remember something: I've never met this woman face to face. No matter what I will always have her back. 

If she reaches out? I'll be there.


She reached out to me and let me know that there is a book out there named Graceful Agony. Yes, there's a colon and then some addition in the title. Ok, so Jolene never wrote a book, but she put her heart and soul into the Graceful Agony Blog. She still has the X(Twitter) and Instagram and Facebook handles. We have a support group on Facebook with that name.


Why am I irritated?
First: she's hurt.
Second: Too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence.


If I was writing a book the last thing I'd do was take part of the title of one of the blogs I follow. If it was something I felt passionately about, I'd contact the owner and get her blessing or have her write a forward. 


Or something.


I wrote this on the Facebook post of the author and got a snippy response back. I'm paraphrasing here... Yeah, she knew about it but since she's in Canada it was not a big deal plus Amazon ok'd the title so ......basically she told me to take a hike and then blocked me.


Real mature.


Needless to say my friend is beyond heartbroken to see her life's work get taken from her. I hate to see her hurt so I'm letting people know my opinion about this book.  If you look up Graceful Agony you'll know what I'm talking about. Since her blog was followed is it too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence?

 I think not.    


(Just as a disclaimer the opinions stated here are my own and  are not intended to malign to disparage.)