Why I can't be "that" blogger

  I absolutely love to write. I'd be lying if I said I never wondered how the course of my life could have been altered had I chosen, in all of my third grade wisdom, to pursue writing instead of veterinary medicine. I'm not saying I wish my life were different, mind you; I'm just saying I think about what might have been. Perhaps I told myself that I could always be a writer "too," as if it weren't important enough to become the sole focus of my career. (It's worth noting that I told myself the same thing about barrel racing, which was and is a passion of mine.) Or maybe it was my mom's dire warning that the "only" way I would ever be able to work with horses and have any money was to be a veterinarian. Sorry, Mom, I jokingly say that's the only piece of bad advice you ever gave me.
  Bear in mind that there was no Internet when I was making decisions about my career. My nine year old self couldn't Google the myriad of choices out there. I couldn't consult Facebook and read about the increased incidence of both suicide and depression among veterinarians. I had no idea that a love of books and writing could lead to anything other than becoming a librarian or a teacher. I wasn't really aware that authors wrote anything other than books. "Blogging" wasn't even a word yet.
  Needless to say, I'm extremely glad that writing doesn't have an age limit. You'd better believe that as long as my fingers can type, I'll be writing something, even if no one else will ever read it. I enjoy writing this blog, even though I'm finding it increasingly difficult to carve out time to do it.
  It would seem that I have the best of both worlds. I finished the degree I set out to obtain as a third grader. I can still be an author, and thanks to technology I can write any time, anywhere. Technological advancements have made it possible for my work to be read without being sold to a publisher or put into book form. I'm getting everything I want.
  So what's the problem? In a nutshell, it's this: I'm too nice. I would love to be the kind of blogger that gets thousands of "likes" and "shares" every time they put up a new post. Unfortunately, I'm not the kind of person who feels comfortable ranting about this topic or that news story, forcing my opinions and beliefs onto other people without a second thought. I don't deliberately hurt other people's feelings or sensationalize an issue that I know will cause pain and controversy. When I hurt someone's feelings, even a total stranger, I genuinely feel bad. It bothers me, sometimes even after I've apologized and they've moved on. That said, I am genetically hard wired to be sarcastic, which means that my sense of humor is not for everyone. When I find myself in an uncomfortable situation, often my immediate response is to make a joke, and that doesn't always go over so well.
  Is it because I'm a lady, a born and raised genuine Southern belle who was always encouraged to "be nice" and keep up appearances? Is it because I'm just a decent person and a fiercely loyal friend? Maybe it's the fact that years and motherhood have turned me into an adult, and I can see that the things I say and do affect the people I love. Perhaps all these things together keep me from being the type of blogger whose audience both sings their praises and fills their inboxes with insults and death threats. Anyone who is involved in creating anything will have their share of critics, but to be told daily by perfect strangers to "go kill yourself" because of something you wrote is not for me. My skin just isn't that thick. I can't be the person who offends my friends and family members in the pursuit of more readers. So from my little blog...you can expect more of the same. Funny stories about life and motherhood and how I try to make it all work together. If you're still here, I'm glad to have you!