The Best Advice My Mother Gave Me

I'd like to tell you about the best advice my mom ever gave me. I was in high school, and probably worrying about how I was not popular enough, or maybe some boy made fun of me. I can't remember, but I know I was very upset with school at the time. My mom sat there, looking at me and said

"In a few years, highschool won't even matter. It's not important. It's nothing like the real world."

At the time, of course, I didn't believe her. I asked all sorts of questions. What was the real world really like? Was high school hard for you? and some others, I'm sure.

Sure, I still had bad days at school. And no, I wasn't magically popular, or date a lot of boys. But I did remember what she said, and it's true- high school doesn't matter anymore, and it is nothing like the real world.


I still remember this advice, because it applies to so many things. Like the blogging world, for instance. It's basically high school again. There are some really popular blogs, and then there are the rest of us. There are some really fake people and then there are really genuine people. There's nice people, mean people, fat people, ugly people, pretty people, skinny people.

There's been a lot of drama lately about a certain magazine "attacking" the blogger world. A lot of people are upset that this would even happen. And some of the names being said are not exactly.... well, proper.

But what I think people tend to forget is- HELLO! You've put your life out on the internet- not everyone is going to love you. Also, if they say something bad about you- guess what! you can ignore it. It isn't like real life when someone walks up to you and asks you if you're pregnant. It isn't like real life when a bunch of frat guys call you a fattie. It isn't like REAL LIFE AT ALL because it isn't. It's more like highschool.

If you're going to blog your life- no matter what it is, you are bound to annoy someone who doesn't share the same ideals as you. The best thing you can do is - shock- let it go.

Let's be sensible for a moment. A fashion magazine- these are people whos concerns are about what to wear during the day and at night, for goodness sakes- said that bloggers were self-destructive. Isnt that the pot calling the kettle black? And fashion magazines aren't too concerned with women's health, lets be honest. They want you to look like a ho and give you great sex advice (which is always a variation on foreplay and cow girl) but they tear apart someone's eating habits or exercise habits. Who freaking cares? Why bother getting upset over a magazine? Arent there more important things in REAL LIFE worth caring about? Like your family, your friends, your own battles?

Once again, like high school, you should be focusing on what really matters. In high school, it was your grades and your GPA. In the real world, its your family, your bills, your life that matters. Not some magazine. What would they know about you- other than you pay $2.95 for them to berate you?- that's right. Nothing. And like those people in high school who were all about being popular and mean and everything- you will see that they just dont matter in the long run.

I read the article, and I didn't find anything offensive about it. They had some random doctor who had never seen these people in REAL LIFE and make judgements about them from their blogs. Oh she works out to much she only eats 500 calories a day from her blog pics.... uhm.... hello?? what does that have to do with anything? Maybe she's over 40 and needs to work out a little harder. Maybe she didn't include that box of cookies she ate in secret! Or maybe its none of your damn business how much she eats or how much she doesn't.

The article doesn't bother me. Its the violent reaction it stirred with in the blogging community. How upset everyone is. You know this thing would just GO AWAY if we werent hyperlinking to it.

Move on, and go back to your regularly scheduled blogging, peeps.