The Good and the Bad

Some of my readers may have noticed the addition of watermarks to my photos.  As much as I would like to be able to say it is because this blog has become so famous, it is not quite there yet, even if my subscriber growth is steady and certainly nothing to be ashamed of.  In any case, the real question is, why the watermark? 

Unfortunately, nothing good in life comes without a cost.  When I decided to publish this blog independently, it was because of the incredible positive feedback I had received regarding my previous blog.  Many people also expressed that they felt there was value in what I was writing for themselves and/or others.  That overwhelmingly positive response was truly inspirational and drove me to continue publishing my writing.  This is obviously the good part: people enjoy my writing, and I enjoy producing something that people derive value from.  Yet there is truth to the expression that "no good deed goes unpunished."

One might wonder how such a seemingly symbiotic relationship has a negative side.  Social media is the most common means of promoting blogs such as mine, and in order for that type of advertising to be effective, I needed to make my social media accounts public.  Here is where the cost comes in; many of my photos have been stolen by other people to create false social media accounts using images of me.  Not only is this a violation of my identity, but it is also something that is liable to take advantage of anyone who follows those false accounts, as they are buying into a false bill of goods.  In order to protect myself and the world of social media users at large, I have had to change my settings back to private. 

The cycle of good and bad, however, does not end with a kibosh on access to my social media, because out of this unfortunate circumstance there is additional good to be found.  In writing my first blog I befriended a young gentleman who just so happens to be a graphic designer.  There would have been no reason for our paths to have crossed without that blog, and I have enjoyed getting to know Brian.  When I decided to branch out on my own with this blog, Brian, of Vertical Bison, very generously helped me with my logo and banner design.  When I ran into trouble with photos snatchers, who should come to the rescue once again, but Brian!

While it might be easy for me to have gotten discouraged and given up on the blog, the good that comes out of writing it certainly outweighs the bad and fortified me with determination to continue publishing.  Knowing that my blog has been inspirational to people, that it has brought new wonderful people into my life, and that my true friends will have my back when things get tough, makes the inconvenience and annoyance of social media perversions worth enduring.  Brian did not need to help me, but he did, because regardless of the minority of deviants stirring up trouble, there are more people in this world who are good, kind, and generous.  Even though writing my blog has opened me up to some of life's ugliness, it has also brought me into contact with more of its grace and goodness.  The reality is that the good and the bad will forever be intertwined, but when something good is seemingly coming at the cost of bad, all I have to do is remember there is always more goodness around the corner to make up for the bad I might currently be enduring.  You just have to keep faith in humanity and remember that one good turn deserves another.  To that end I highly recommend Brian's skills as a graphic artist.  Should you ever be in need, Brian and his brother have a design company called Vertical Bison.  You can follow their work on Instagram (verticalbison), as well as reach out to them for all your graphic design needs.

Thank you Brian, thank you to all of my loyal readers, and to those who have helped support and promote my blog.