"Your account has been disabled." This is the message I get when I try to log onto the blog during my vacation last week. I read through the email and it says something about security, blah, blah and terms of service, yada, yada.
I am stunned. I've only been a "blogger" for three weeks and they cut me off! I haven't made my mark yet! I am still finding my voice! My audience numbers around three and one of the readers is my own mother.
After the initial shock wears off, I'm angry. I try to put it out of my mind but I feel helplessness, frustration and irritation seeping into everything I do. "I don't deserve this," I think.
Soon my anger turns to questioning. I am indignant. WHY did they do this to me? I am a rule follower. I actually sit and read the Terms of Service. The whole document. OK, really I skim it. But nothing jumps out. I wrack my brain for anything in my content that could be offensive.
Oh no! The last thing I wrote in my blog was "Michelle Obama, watch out!" That's it! I've been red-flagged as a potential terrorist! Here I am at the beach and the CIA is probably at my house right now wiretapping everything and taking pictures. I knew I should have made all the beds before we left for vacation.
I return to my account and fill out a short on-line questionnaire summarizing the issue. Nowhere on the form does it indicate "Check this box if you are NOT a threat to our Nation's security." Soon, the response comes. Apparently, when I tried to use my father-in-law's computer logged under his name, Google was worried about my own security being breached. I just needed to reset my password. Whew. Crisis averted.
How do you handle life's little challenges? Now back to blogging, I can reflect on how I handle such problems. Basically, I panic first, think later, and stress and stew in between. I wish I could learn how to pause...and think first. I'd like to handle life's inconveniences with a grin, some grit and a bit of grace. This time, it was more like a grimace, some grit and a bit of grumbling. Well, at least I persevered.
I'm sure I'll have a new "opportunity" to practice soon. I'll let you know how it goes.
Ah, life's little challenges . . . home ownership is providing me an opportunity to experience them on a near daily basis. Tell me again why this is supposed to be such a fabulous thing?
ReplyDeleteAt least today I have AC, a fan in my upstairs bathroom, and am one step closer to having my fancy gas stove ready to go.
I'm glad you persevered and got to the bottom of your Blogger woes. We got internet in the house yesterday and I'd missed reading your blog! Email was enough for the ol' iPhone to handle.