Be An Andrew, Not A Dale: A Tale of Two Emails

I get a lot of email. Some of it is good, some of it isn't. But I read everything sent to mike@torontomike.com.

I received two emails back-to-back yesterday that really demonstrate the spectrum of feedback this independent content creator receives on a daily basis.

This email arrived at 4:50pm. It's from a guy who has been reading the content on this blog for a couple of decades, and seemed to be a fan and supporter until his heel turn in March 2020 when he wrote me to tell me I deserved to break my wrist in a bike crash because I left my house during a global pandemic.

"Dawn", by the way, is an anonymous troll who comments now and then as "Dawn Keibals", which is obviously an absolutely hilarious way of writing "Donkey Balls". At least I thought that was obvious.

More often than not, I delete comments from this Donkey Balls character, because they're pretty mean, usually at the expense of long-time daily commenter Cheryl. Or, as was the case here, a shitty remark about how I dressed to see a movie.

Exactly ten minutes later, I received this email.

One email was sent to bum me out, and almost immediately an email was sent to lift this independent podcaster's spirits. Polar opposite intentions.

You have one life to live, and it's pretty damn short. Be an Andrew, not a Dale.