One would assume that being a keen observer of relationships, having a master of art’s degree in communication studies, and being empathic means I am incredibly gifted at saying the right thing all the time.
The assumption would be wrong.
As I have negotiated the unfamiliar land that the Sip and Go Girl media EMPIRE has led me to, I discover being the “gossipy self help” of the World Wide Web can make me over-confident and cheeky.
That’s a sour combo when I fling my gifts in the faces of people as though I own the world of intuition.
I did that with sipandgogirl.com writer Picture Perfect. He submitted an article that, to me, seemed like a mini love letter to the woman who was a subject of it. He spoke highly of her in grand terms. Then, after submitting it, he contacted me worried that readers could identify him.
Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes in the Granada Series. Probably figuring out the identity of Sip and Go Girl writers
My reaction was, first, who cares if anyone can identify you. My second reaction was maybe Picture Perfect was concerned that what I saw as an obvious crush or attraction to the woman in the story would be publically revealed ala secret-admirer-out-in-the-open.
I said as much and my wording via email was dismissive of his concerns. At one point, after he had wanted me to change facts of the article to further obfuscate his identity, I told him to knock it off and chill out. I said, frankly, that in some ways the article made it look like he actually wanted someone to figure out who he was.
Picture Perfect was angry.
I’ll just kind of run it down to you. If I’m writing an article for you then you’re my ‘client.’ Even though we may be friends, we are entering into a professional relationship. If I bring up an issue to you, I expect to be treated professionally. I shouldn’t be told to chill-out or that my concerns are baseless. It doesn’t fly in the real world and frankly, I’m surprised you are so clueless about that.
Once you told me my concerns about feeling my confidentiality being breached were an overreaction, you then reversed-course and told me it seemed as though I’d ‘wanted someone to connect me to it.’
I’m not in love with her, in lust with her, or anything other than she’s a cute girl I’m attracted to. I don’t appreciate you making a mountain out of a molehill, and if you’re trying to psychoanalyze me, you’re sadly missing the mark.
As I developed the website and the EMPIRE, I experienced growing pains. I still do of course. The project has been up and running less than nine months. Some who have written for Sip and Go Girl are people with whom I have long, shared histories. That doesn’t give me license to fling my analyses all over the place.
I apologized.
“Yes I can tell you’re annoyed with me. I shouldn’t have teased you nor used my analysis on you. I’m sorry.”
I’ve worked through at least those media EMPIRE and personal growing pains.
