I get a lot of emails and social media messages from both strangers and regular readers of this blog. I genuinely want to respond to every email and message I receive. I try to answer blog/social media comments when I can, but I cannot keep up with the volume of comments I receive. I do read every one of them, but I am no longer able to answer every one of them.
As regular readers know, I have serious health problems: gastroparesis, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and degenerative spine disease. Every day is a struggle for me. There is no such thing as a good day. Those days are gone (and wishing them for me is not helpful). I have embraced my present reality, my new normal. All I ask is that people understand where I am in life — and most people do.
I warn email senders on my contact page that it may take me a month or more to answer their emails. Currently, I am six weeks behind, working on emails from the end of August. Yet, I will have people send me multiple emails wondering when I am going to respond to them. They mean well, but their impatience is not helpful, and some days it is downright annoying, much like a toddler nagging you for a cookie.
Part of the problem is me. I over-promise and under-deliver. People want me to write on this or that subject, write about this or that criminal preacher, review their book, read their blog, listen to their podcast, etc. I tend to say I will try to do so, or even promise that I will. When I don’t follow through, people get upset with me. So, I apologize for giving you and others false hopes. Going forward, I will not do so. Starting today, I am clearing my “promise” list. I will do what I can, but I can no longer commit to covering certain subjects/people or doing things beyond my work for this site. I may in time get to things previously promised, but you shouldn’t expect me to do so. By all means, keep making suggestions, but I may not be able to meet your expectation.
My health continues to decline, ever so slowly. I am having increasing neurological problems with my hands (especially my dominant left hand). I fear I may someday have to stop typing. Not today, but typing has become difficult, at times painful. It’s just one more fucking thing for me to deal with. 🙂
I do want people to continue emailing me. I do want people to continue commenting on this blog and on my social media posts. I am just asking for your understanding if I don’t promptly respond to you. Please don’t take it personally. On my part, I will do better, not promising things I cannot deliver.
Thank you for your understanding.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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Bruce, that you are able to do as much as you do is near miraculous. 🙂 Bravo, sir!
Being chronically ill, especially with a bunch of them, is really tough. I’m glad for this reminder/refresher of your boundaries.
Bruce, thank you for all you do. Decent people will understand when you tell them. The a$$holes are another story entirely, and they aren’t worth your effort.
Bruce, you not only look like Santa Claus, you are like him as well. Besides the physical limitations, I’m sure every blogger/Youtuber/etc. that achieves a certain level of saturation ends up with this sad reality. You can’t read every comment or contact. It is just how it is. My advice, when it becomes a job and is no longer fulfilling stop doing it. I wish you could have “elves” that could take some of the load, not sure how that would work though.
I have often felt bad for not emailing you. Gee, I should drop Bruce a note. Glad I’m helping out by not emailing you. 🙂 Thing is, I’m pretty much up to date here on your blog, and I try to drop in to stir the pot from time to time. Stir, stir stir . . .
I’ve had a crazy past few months. I opened my email (hadn’t looked at it since June) and found 3000+ messages 😵 Still going through the important ones, most of them your newsletters. Chronic illness is a bitch. I’m in a fibro flare now because of it all. Sometimes, things just can’t be done. I was so overwhelmed, I was tempted to delete the account. Glad I didn’t. I would have deleted my wedding photos 🙂