Gossip.
Anyone who says they don't like dishing (or listening to) a little dirt every once in awhile is probably lying. (Or an incredibly nice person. I envy you). Most of the time it's fun to be in on the secret (I mean, I grew up with my dad buying Star Magazine and the National Enquirer weekly). But sometimes, you realize just how hurtful it can be, and it makes you think twice about the things you say or the rumors you may help to perpetuate.
Recently, I found out that some classmates have been, for lack of better words and sounding like a third grader, "making fun" of my blog (and saying some other unpleasant things about me). Now, for the most part, I am the first person to make fun of myself in most situations. Sure, I started the blog because to some extent I like talking about myself---who doesn't (also, lying if you don't)? But the real reason I started this blog is because I wanted to say something more than I'd been saying to ears that weren't listening. I wanted to share my thoughts on healthy eating, fun, fashion, and fitness because I'm passionate about those things, and when you're passionate about something you want to share it. For a long time, I was sharing my passions with people who didn't agree with me or didn't share the same interests. I can talk your ear off about my thoughts on exercise, my disdain for all things saturated fat and fast food restaurants, the websites I ordered healthy goodies from, and my love of baking--but I started to realize that not everybody agrees with me. And that's fine.
Med school can be very isolating at times, and I started this blog at a time when I wanted to connect with people who did feel the same as I did. That's what blogging is about. Medical school is about being on the ball, reading until your face turns blue, spitting out information, and (if you have a second) maintaining some semblance of a normal life. I started this blog to talk about my experience of going from a student to the working world, to help and meet others who were struggling to balance work, play, and a healthy lifestyle, and to practice for my ultimate role of being a professional advisor (pediatrician) and helping children and adolescents who need guidance in life. I started this blog at a time when I felt like my life was starting to miss that semblance of normal, and my confidence and inner strength were making their way down the gutter (being a student can do that sometimes). And it helped. It made (and still makes) me happy that there were a few people who really listened, who felt comfortable sharing, and (hopefully) enjoy reading about my journey to becoming a doctor, as much as I enjoy reading about their lives.
So is blogging weird? Maybe. But the fact that so many people do it (I mean, check out my blog roll! And if I haven't added you yet- slap me on the wrist and I will :-) ), some people even blog as a job (dream job!!), shows that it's a viable method of communication.
Please, if my blog offends you in any way, if you don't agree with the time I spend on the site or the things I talk about, my facebook and twitter posts, etc, there's no love lost if you de-friend, unfollow me, etc. In the last year of medical school (which is already stressful enough), I could really do without negative energy in my life.
Annnnddd... .end scene. Thanks for listening to my rant :).
Have you experienced gossip about your blog/website? How do you deal with it?