Vote - Week 30

[clauderainsrm]

A few words from clauderainsrm:
This week was all about the choices we make: YOU had to choose between picking one of your “Favorite” entries and writing a brand new piece with the topic “Critical Hit

Comments

[anyonesghost]

I'd feel better about seeing this coming from a mile away if I'd, y'know, listened to my inner editor and written something a little less ridiculous. :-p

Good luck, all!

[kickthehobbit]

I KNOW THAT FEEL, BRO.

[crisp_sobriety]

Oh. Shit.

Well, nothing to do but hope for the best, I suppose.

[kickthehobbit]

Your entry was excellent. You're going to be fine.

[crisp_sobriety]

:3 Thank you, that means a lot. Also, wow, you're on top of things! I haven't had a chance to read anyone yet.

[kickthehobbit]

I've read everyone, but it was a slow day at work. :P

[suesniffsglue]

Suppose I made the wrong choice. Arrgh.

[reckless_blues]

Greeaaat.

This week's piece was rough, and I'm sure everyone reading it is going to be just thrilled with me as a person. Hopefully I wrote it well enough to last out the week.

I've been dying to get that one out of me, though. I'm worried about the conversations we have as a culture about abuse. I don't think the rhetoric we hear now is helping abuse survivors recognize what's happening to them so they can get out, or helping abusers understand that they're being abusive and need serious help. It troubles me a lot because you can see it pretty much everywhere if you Google around as a survivor or perpetrator looking for help.

[kickthehobbit]

as another survivor: I identified with a lot of your piece and felt that it was really strong and handled things well.

[reckless_blues]

That's good. I sort of wanted to take people into the situation and remind everyone that often (probably not necessarily always, but often) in abusive relationships there's so much warmth and love and empathy on both sides. It doesn't mean the relationship isn't unhealthy and destructive, or that the abusive person or persons has the tools to handle anger and pain constructively, but I think it's important to humanize the way we think about this and understand that not being mentally or emotionally equipped to have healthy relationships is compatible with feeling emotion, empathy, and love.

[dmousey]

I think you just described my life.

[halfshellvenus]

You know, this is where lrig_rorrim's choice to put the tried-and-true older entry up for the prompt looks like genius. :O

[crisp_sobriety]

I know, right?

I'm kicking myself, now. I should have seen through Gary's clever ruse!

[halfshellvenus]

I never see through his ruses! I always assign the wrong ruse the occasion. :D

[lrig_rorrim]

It was part strategy (that was the stronger piece), part curiosity (I wanted to know more of the opinions of others about the thing I wrote for "critical hit"), part paranoia (oh god what if it's gatekeepers aaaaahhhh), and a VERY large dollop of just plain being contrary (almost EVERYBODY was doing it the other way 'round... and I like being different). I admit it looks like genius but um, yeah... not so much...