very late comment (my Substack inbox is incredibly backlogged) but i noticed that the comments section on Instagram is truly ABYSMAL. on Twitter it doesn't surprise me so much, no matter the content, every time i click on an Instagram Reel the comments are always super negative. like, it'll be a cute cat video and the comments will be full of vitriol. gosh, people can be really miserable.
i appreciate your letter for the reminder that there are some positive, good-hearted people out there 🫶🏾
A class on time management/executive function/organization tips/delegation for writers would be good because it really seems like you do so so much, plus you manage kids.
Thank you for sharing this, for seeing that poor man as a human (not a joke) and for spreading good in this world! So many of us have been burned by speaking up about common decency, then waffle about speaking up the next time...because we don't always have the mental energy to deal with the trolls. But I think every time we see someone else speak up, it fortifies us to speak up the next time too. Your kind act has certainly had a ripple effect. (Trolls be damned!)
Oh that's so interesting! I don't think I've ever seen that taught. I'll have to think about that one as it would be hard for me to teach without knowing what everybody is writing about as metaphors are highly intimate. I'll think on this!
I LOVE YOU Courtney! Everything you write is about creating a better world and supporting people, like the poor postie. That his face and workplace wasn't blurred out emphasizes that it was a blatant attempt to shame him. Thank you for making me want to be a better human being this morning!
What saddens me is not seeing (from what I can tell) anyone coming to your defense. For all of the bullies on the internet, there are 10 silent bystanders.
Oh no people did, and I wrote about them above! It's just that the trolls started coming after them too! And hopefully other people wrote in that it was a garbage post in the first place. But decent people were outnumbered for sure.
Sorry, intense work schedule made me read sloppily. I also hate how the possibility of this kind of reaction serves to intimidate one in the first place from making a perfectly legitimate comment. I have been turned on twice unbelievable unfairly, and I just disengage but it ruins your day.
You absolutely did the right thing. I vehemently oppose any kind of doxxing. It concerns me that some people have no qualms about sharing people’s names, faces, and employers with the intention of getting them fired or harassed. Human decency seems to have fallen away for a large swath of society. You are good people. You have my unwavering support. ❤️
Thanks Kathleen! I love postal workers-- I mean, especially where I live they are taking care with your letters and taxes and private information in rain, sleet, hail, snow, the heat-- it isn't easy and also: they know SO MUCH about you! Don't mess with the USPS people-- they can bite back.
On behalf of the mailman: Thank you, Courtney. You always share intimate details about yourself in your writings in the hope that it might help someone else. You are a class act. Also, thanks for the "almost Thanksgiving" card you sent me. I will never share your home address with anyone - there are, obviously, way too many trolls in this world.
Courage is what you did Courtney. I hope the mailman never sees that IG post... or better yet, I hope he does, and lets them all have it. Still better yet, I hope he delivers mail to some of the trolls' houses and... well... that he takes a little extra time on all of their porches to leave them an audio holiday greeting.
😜
p.s. Just emailed you a little something to counter the negativity you've had to deal with. ❤️
"go write a book about it," LOL SHE JUST MIGHT AND IT WILL PROBABLY BE A BESTSELLER, you humbug! therapy should be mandatory for everyone these days.
re: class requests--I would LOVE a class on dialogue; I find writing dialogue super tricky. happy thanksgiving friend!! sending you a big ol' hug! down with grinches!! xo
I'd like to echo Chrstine's comment and all of you who are sending love and support and admiration for Courtney. Thank you for sticking up for the mailman. Thank you for creating a space for us here where we can reverse all this wicked hate and keep each other going.
Courtney, this is just to send love and support. Thanks for your decency and kindness. I see that, and so do so many of us who aren't yelling on the internet. (I think that, as with so many things, the problem is upstream: the rage, the wounds, the shredding of the public sphere, the ease of clicks and lack of human contact IRL. Then what washes downstream is always kind of a shock.) Thank you for standing up for that postman's humanity. Big love to you, and RESPECT. - Christine
Courtney, I also follow(ed) the fuckjerry account and saw the video of the mailman you referenced, and agreed with every word you said. I felt so sorry for the guy. I'm glad someone stood up for him, but sorry you then had to deal with a ridiculous barrage of hate. Before I also unfollowed the account, I was encouraged to see a few others eventually jump in and agree with you.
It's so wild, right? People are getting to a place where they watch ring footage without seeing people as people-- like they are actors or comedians or extras or something, not "real" normal people. Same thing with how they interact with people online-- people are just handles and avatars I guess, who have no feelings. There are so many great things about social media but it hasn't made us more compassionate people, I'm afraid.
Oof. Do not get people sometimes (oftentimes). It's wild and disheartening what comes out when folks think they can speak with impunity (I'm assuming most of the troll calvary would be too cowardly to say much of anything in person).
As for courses, I'd love one on the craft of writing the personal essay for Substack (or elsewhere). Wishing you a beautiful, troll-free TG, Courtney!
very late comment (my Substack inbox is incredibly backlogged) but i noticed that the comments section on Instagram is truly ABYSMAL. on Twitter it doesn't surprise me so much, no matter the content, every time i click on an Instagram Reel the comments are always super negative. like, it'll be a cute cat video and the comments will be full of vitriol. gosh, people can be really miserable.
i appreciate your letter for the reminder that there are some positive, good-hearted people out there 🫶🏾
It's really rough on TikTok, too!
A class on time management/executive function/organization tips/delegation for writers would be good because it really seems like you do so so much, plus you manage kids.
Thank you for sharing this, for seeing that poor man as a human (not a joke) and for spreading good in this world! So many of us have been burned by speaking up about common decency, then waffle about speaking up the next time...because we don't always have the mental energy to deal with the trolls. But I think every time we see someone else speak up, it fortifies us to speak up the next time too. Your kind act has certainly had a ripple effect. (Trolls be damned!)
Thank you, Heather!
I'd love a class on how to come up with metaphors!
Oh that's so interesting! I don't think I've ever seen that taught. I'll have to think about that one as it would be hard for me to teach without knowing what everybody is writing about as metaphors are highly intimate. I'll think on this!
I LOVE YOU Courtney! Everything you write is about creating a better world and supporting people, like the poor postie. That his face and workplace wasn't blurred out emphasizes that it was a blatant attempt to shame him. Thank you for making me want to be a better human being this morning!
Aww Kirsten, thank *you*! Have a wonderful holiday.
My gosh this helps me so much. Long story that doesn’t need to be told but thank you for writing this! 🌟
Thank you for reading!
What saddens me is not seeing (from what I can tell) anyone coming to your defense. For all of the bullies on the internet, there are 10 silent bystanders.
Oh no people did, and I wrote about them above! It's just that the trolls started coming after them too! And hopefully other people wrote in that it was a garbage post in the first place. But decent people were outnumbered for sure.
Sorry, intense work schedule made me read sloppily. I also hate how the possibility of this kind of reaction serves to intimidate one in the first place from making a perfectly legitimate comment. I have been turned on twice unbelievable unfairly, and I just disengage but it ruins your day.
It does ! It's unnerving how affecting it is.
You absolutely did the right thing. I vehemently oppose any kind of doxxing. It concerns me that some people have no qualms about sharing people’s names, faces, and employers with the intention of getting them fired or harassed. Human decency seems to have fallen away for a large swath of society. You are good people. You have my unwavering support. ❤️
Thanks Kathleen! I love postal workers-- I mean, especially where I live they are taking care with your letters and taxes and private information in rain, sleet, hail, snow, the heat-- it isn't easy and also: they know SO MUCH about you! Don't mess with the USPS people-- they can bite back.
On behalf of the mailman: Thank you, Courtney. You always share intimate details about yourself in your writings in the hope that it might help someone else. You are a class act. Also, thanks for the "almost Thanksgiving" card you sent me. I will never share your home address with anyone - there are, obviously, way too many trolls in this world.
Thanks James! Happy Thanksgiving to you-- almost ;)
Courage is what you did Courtney. I hope the mailman never sees that IG post... or better yet, I hope he does, and lets them all have it. Still better yet, I hope he delivers mail to some of the trolls' houses and... well... that he takes a little extra time on all of their porches to leave them an audio holiday greeting.
😜
p.s. Just emailed you a little something to counter the negativity you've had to deal with. ❤️
"go write a book about it," LOL SHE JUST MIGHT AND IT WILL PROBABLY BE A BESTSELLER, you humbug! therapy should be mandatory for everyone these days.
re: class requests--I would LOVE a class on dialogue; I find writing dialogue super tricky. happy thanksgiving friend!! sending you a big ol' hug! down with grinches!! xo
Well I did go and write an essay about it, so take that, TROLLZ. xo
I'd like to echo Chrstine's comment and all of you who are sending love and support and admiration for Courtney. Thank you for sticking up for the mailman. Thank you for creating a space for us here where we can reverse all this wicked hate and keep each other going.
Thank you Carol! What a beautiful and generous thing to say. Wishing you a restful and nourishing Thanksgiving.
Courtney, this is just to send love and support. Thanks for your decency and kindness. I see that, and so do so many of us who aren't yelling on the internet. (I think that, as with so many things, the problem is upstream: the rage, the wounds, the shredding of the public sphere, the ease of clicks and lack of human contact IRL. Then what washes downstream is always kind of a shock.) Thank you for standing up for that postman's humanity. Big love to you, and RESPECT. - Christine
Good for you. And thank you for showing how it can be handled.
Courtney, I also follow(ed) the fuckjerry account and saw the video of the mailman you referenced, and agreed with every word you said. I felt so sorry for the guy. I'm glad someone stood up for him, but sorry you then had to deal with a ridiculous barrage of hate. Before I also unfollowed the account, I was encouraged to see a few others eventually jump in and agree with you.
It's so wild, right? People are getting to a place where they watch ring footage without seeing people as people-- like they are actors or comedians or extras or something, not "real" normal people. Same thing with how they interact with people online-- people are just handles and avatars I guess, who have no feelings. There are so many great things about social media but it hasn't made us more compassionate people, I'm afraid.
Oof. Do not get people sometimes (oftentimes). It's wild and disheartening what comes out when folks think they can speak with impunity (I'm assuming most of the troll calvary would be too cowardly to say much of anything in person).
As for courses, I'd love one on the craft of writing the personal essay for Substack (or elsewhere). Wishing you a beautiful, troll-free TG, Courtney!