Sunday 24 May 2015

support in the community | ruth carmel kirby

Hi!

Inspired by tonights #lbloggers chat on twitter, I thought I'd write a lil post today about support in our community. This is something I've often thought about, wondered at and generally been in awe of! So let's get started!:)



If you are unaware of what the blogging community actually is, here is a near enough textbook definition.
It's a group of people, male or female, black or white, gay, straight, trans, tall, short, slender, tubby, happy, sad, hispanic, punk rockers, and a whole array of other things that differenciate us from one another, who all share a common love and interest in writing. The support is an added bonus of this group of people. I think that, since we are all different in ways, we tend to be more accepting to one another. And we're always there in a crisis for each other. 

Here's a few examples. A few months back, I was on twitter, reading through my feed, and I noticed one girl had been retweeted by my friends. I don't remember who it was, but her boyfriend had been particularly violent towards her and she'd just been to the police about it. This is a pretty extreme scenario in which the support from our community has been overwhelming. There were people offering support, advice, and a whole armful of lovely, supportive people offering her kind gentle words of encouragement, letting her know she wasn't alone in this, and wasn't going to have to face it alone either. 
Now if that hasn't already proved what a powerful group we are, I don't know what will. A few less extreme examples, exam period rolled around, and everyone was tweeting, messaging, and commenting words of support about it. Even those who have been on a hiatus from blogging for their exam period aren't exempt from the support thrown around by our community. We really are a loving bunch :)



There are however, as mentioned in the chat, ways in which the support can go. There is a theory devised by me and my mum during the time at which I was being bullied. I call it the pile theory. Now, you have a pile of people. At the top are the strong, often talented, kind people. At the bottom are the rude, often not very talented weak people. Now, the weak people want to get to the top of the pile, but, excuse my french, can't be arsed improving their skills to rise to the top of the pile and join those at the top. So, instead they tear everyone else down even lower than them, till eventually, although they haven't gained any altitude they are technically at the top. 
This involves negative comments, abusive behaviour, and generally just being a not very pleasant human being. 
What these people haven't worked out, is that this behaviour in the long run won't make them feel much better. What have they got by the end of it? They haven't gained any, they haven't risen. They've just put other people down. Where is the point in that?

Applying this theory to the blogging world, negative comments are basically useless. They won't do anything but make two, or even possibly more people who possess the remarkable quality of empathy, unhappy. It's not good for you or the person on the recieving end of it. Guess what trolls, it's what grandma has been telling you all along! "If you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!"

Generally though, the community is supportive and lovely! You can find this in the form of nicely established blogging friends, or sometimes even complete strangers! We need more of these wonderful, positive people in the world. As for the people who still feel like they're at the bottom of this pile, and yet they aren't doing anything wrong., you are dissillusioned! The people at the top of the pile are the people who are kind, with strong heads and good hearts. If you keep your heart in the right place, and let your head help guide it, you're already at the top!

Thank you for all the wonderful support! I, and many others appreciate the community, and every piece of joy it brings us so much!<3 I'm glad to call myself a blogger :)

Thank you for reading!

ruth carmel kirby x

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