The truth

"Can I ask you a question?"

This from an email received last week.

"Are the letters you post on your blog for real?"

Is yours?

"I can see you edit some, but some are so angry and bitter, upsetting and sad, I have to wonder if you are getting this many letters, or just using one as a jumping off point for another agenda."

Wow. OK, first, I have been getting letters from blog visitors for a while. Only recently did I start publishing some on this site, with my brilliant insight attached. Do I edit some? Yes, because some are either so enraged or the clues to who might be writing are so obvious, I change a couple things around to hide identities. That, and the fact that some are incredibly long winded and they need shortening.

Do I have an agenda? Probably, but when it comes to answering letters, I just kind of write what is my honest reaction.

"Why make up names for people? Tiny D? Sketchy the Addict? Who are these people and why the fake names?"

OK, so if I put Joe instead of Stony the pot smoking stock broker, would you have a better idea who Joe is? (Joe is not his real name, smoking pot and trading stocks is real). The idea of finding a nickname for some people I either know or meet, I just figured it gives them color. Plus, for obvious reasons, I am not about to use someones real name if I am trying to hide their identity.

"Did you used to live in New York? Have we ever been lovers."

Yes and no.

Good day.