As anyone who reads this blog knows, I’m a rational, even-tempered person who trusts people implicitly…
Man, I can’t even type that with a straight face. I’m not rational, especially when it’s about something I’m passionate about. I’m only even-tempered if it doesn’t have to do with baseball and I very rarely trust anyone or anything unless I have many good reasons to do so.
I mention this because there is a comment left on my most recent “ranting” post that appears to be written by Heidi Watney. I trust nothing when it comes to the comments…this I learned at WEEI.com. So before taking it too seriously, I did a little research. As I responded in those same comments, either it’s a relatively elaborate April Fools’ joke or Heidi really did take the time to comment. There was an email address attached to the comment and in the event that it isn’t a joke, I responded privately.
Then I got to thinking. Â If it was Heidi who left the comment, it’s a little unfair for me to just respond in private. Â I very publicly call her out once or twice or eight times a year and she took the time to publicly respond so responding privately seemed a bit like hiding. Here’s the comment so you don’t have to go looking:
Hi Cyn,
I agree with your opinion on the show… It sounds like women are definitely not the target demo. I know you have always been very critical of me, without ever meeting me or knowing me, which is a bit unfair. But hey that’s the business I am in… Everyone’s a critic. I just wanted to point out an inaccuracy… I said they gave it to me in a pink helmet because I’m a girl because that is what the vendor off camera said to me. I didn’t ask for pink, and generally don’t like it on anyone but little girls. It was an offhand comment I repeated. I just want to point out that sometimes people can be quick to judge and take things out of context. That said I did read your comment, and I appreciate the “passâ€.
I’m glad you like the new segment.
Thanks for listening…
Heidi
Being the cynic I am, I absolutely didn’t believe this was real. If it isn’t, someone in Texas wants me to think it is. In either event, it doesn’t hurt to take a moment to discuss it a bit.
If this is Heidi, I have to thank her for responding. Â She gave some background to her comment that I criticized (that, frankly, made me yell at my television if I’m being honest) and it even makes sense to me. Â In the message I sent back, I did two things: Â I apologized for making her feel bad because if you think about it (and God knows when I’m in my rant mode I don’t) some of the things I write about her come off as plain mean and that isn’t my intent. Â I’m not trying to be mean. Â This falls into the other thing I mentioned, most of my criticisms I stand by. Â I didn’t get specific. Â “Here are the reasons I write about you now go fix yourself!” wasn’t really the tone I was going for when I responded last night. Â So while I did write to her that I stood by most of the criticisms, I also apologized for being mean-spirited on occasion. Â As I wrote, it’s easy to sometimes forget that the people we see on television so often are real people with real feelings. Â I got a reminder last night to keep that in mind when I’m writing.
I still believe in calling those out who I think need to be called out occasionally and, as was noted in the above comment, it comes with the territory for a job like Heidi’s. Â That doesn’t mean I have to be such an ass about it.
So if the comment wasn’t made by Heidi, the prankster still accomplished something that wasn’t childish and stupid, he/she got me to examine myself a bit and take myself to task for being too harsh on some at times. Â April Fools to that person since I’m sure my self-reflection wasn’t the goal there.
But if it was Heidi Watney, what now? Â Do I stop being critical when I think it calls for it? Â If I’m being honest, probably not. Â I will certainly cop to being a hypocrite on occasion, but I feel like I’d be a total fraud if I did that. Â What’s the message? Â It’s okay to talk about someone behind their back but once they acknowledge you it’s time to say something nice or not say anything at all? Â Even I can’t be that big a hypocrite.
So, honestly, I have no idea. Â I admit to having enjoyed the way NESN has been using Heidi lately and maybe that will help. Â Maybe more segments like she’s been doing will just naturally turn the tide and give me nothing to criticize? Â Maybe things will be going either so good or so bad for the team that I won’t have time to pay attention to anything she’s doing that I might be critical of? Â There are a world of possibilities and all I can do is promise that I’ll try to be less mean and more constructive if/when the opportunities are presented.
I don’t pretend that everyone who reads my blog thinks I’m wonderful and I’m sure Heidi doesn’t expect that everyone who watches her on NESN is going to love her. Â But it doesn’t hurt to be reminded sometimes that we’re all just people trying to do our thing and we have feelings just like everyone else. Â Here endeth the lesson.
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