Yay! Dialogue!
Finally, something interesting going on : ) While most of my readers seemed to have stuck around this summer (daily hit count is the same), most of the blogs I normally read have taken a dirt nap. I was getting bored out here. Been reading up on Eating Disorders, not really on what they are, but who they are- mostly personal journals and weblogs. And, I've gotta say, at least the sites I've been reading haven't gone dead in the water like so many of the people I link to. Some people are actually consistent about writing besides me!! ... Anyhoo, call this curiosity the fascination of the week. . I first mentioned some of the pages I was viewing in Monday's entry, though I'd been thinking about it for a while. I think a few people took this mention personally... oopsie! : ) But I'm excited because, for once, someone said something and for that I am glad. There's nothing I enjoy more than a good dialogue to promote understanding. The following is from the footnote I just wrote to accompany the entry. I chopped it off after the first paragraph for the sake of space conservation on old entrys and will put it here for anyone who cares to hear what I have to say.

From the 7/1 entry:

Apparently, this paragraph, in its original form, disturbed some of the journalists to which it was linked. For that, I apologize. I don't however, take back what I'm saying or thinking. I've edited the context of the linked sentence to remove the word "stupidly," because I think that's what some people assumed implied I was hating on them or bashing them. No, I find it depressing that there is so much self-induced suffering in this world. Having been there, it is an unpleasant reminder. The thought, in the edit, remains the same... by "stupidly," I mean I do find it stupid to do such things to your body. As much as it shouldn't be this way, you would be nothing without it. I admire persistence, tenacity, and stubborness... but not hanging onto a downward slide. I think there's enough in life to worry about. I'm glad I acquired a new audience and I'm glad I got feedback. : ) But really, this is not about you; this is about me. A word to the wise: life is so much gentler when you don't take things personally. (See The Four Agreements)

So I guess really, this is not just about me, it's about the world. It's about my fascination with things I connect with, or don't connect with- things that are at once foreign and familiar to me. You'll find I'm not your typical respondee. I won't take back what I say; I won't tell you to eat a sandwich and shut up. Maybe you should eat a sandwich (they're tasty! : ) but please, never shut up!! Whatever you have to say, say it loud- even if it's to tell me to FUCK OFF. I'll fuck off, all right, but I won't shut up. I'm not dumb, I know you can't tell a depressed person to turn off the waterworks and expect them to get miraculously better any more than anyone with an ED can start to feel good about themselves, eat well, and focus on things other than calories and weight gain. Even mostly normal people have trouble with that. It's hard work and it takes a long, fucking time to change yourself.

Scuse me if I sound preachy. I'm not better than anyone here: I've just gained some unexpected insight from my journey this past week and it feels good to jerk off my brain a bit. Again... do I find these sites horrible? No. Shameful? No. Depressing? Yes. Should they be banned? Hell no. We all know what Kat thinks about censorship. Sometimes what frightens us is what we need to see. What makes us uncomfortable should be faced- it might not always be bad. This is a look into the closet, my own personal closet, and I'm glad you're reading along. Please, please, feel free to respond. I know I have a tendency to talk A LOT, but I'll try not to bite anyone's head off. I'll be writing more on this later and I hope that I can get some input from both the experienced and inexerienced. Thx.

Benedicte.