I never thought I'd do this...


...but I’ve decided not to read e-mails coming from trolls. It’s been my personal policy since the new year of 2014 dawned. And I’ve made good on my decision in the last month when a group of trolls began – again – to pour their green slime into my in-box. Apparently, you might need to have the green gunk examined at a future date, in the unlikely case that the (cowardly) troll does something in real-life and you can use their poison pen missives as evidence to the police that they had malicious intentions.


A solicitor friend of mine advised me to send the e-mails to ‘someone trustworthy who will keep them in a folder’, for future notice. So, I inflict the vile and vituperative missives on a true friend.
Then, I delete the e-mail from my in-box. At this pleasant and peaceful time of writing: no e-mails from trolls exist in my e-mail account. #Bliss

Two female friends of mine in Ireland have collected scrap books of the vile abuse from the trolls, taken it to their local police station, and the constabulary have gone to the place under the bridge, I mean, the home of the troll and asked him or her to stop.


The caveat, 'don't feed the trolls' does not go nearly far enough. It's better not to read the trolls, and it makes a handy rhyme, 'don't read or feed the trolls'. And it's simply done, whenever you get that bullying e-mail from a known troll, you just click delete.

If only there were a way of telling the trolls that you don’t read their nasty nay-sayings. I had been thinking of sending an e-mail with the line, “I don’t read your e-mails, they are deleted from my in-box.” Trolls, by their nature, are usually power-hungry control-freaks, they get a sense of power from dis-empowering you, so they would hate to think that the toxic text they spent so long writing, has ended up in the bin folder. If, however, you reply at all, you are 'feeding' them and they will keep coming back for more, and the vicious cycle starts again.

In previous years, I had prided myself on being able to read e-mails from people who were determined to put me down and/or rubbish my beliefs. I was sure that I could read, reply and reason with them and that if I treated them nicely enough, they would be nice to me, in a sort of 'you-get-what-you-give' way.  Ah, I laugh at my former naïve self. It has been good for my humility to see that I can't change these people one tiny bit.

It's a source of sun-burnt sadness to me that these people, I mean, trolls, spend their time and energy concocting Molotov cocktails of e-mails that are designed to land in someone's in-box and create chaos. But if you don't read the e-mail, then it becomes like refuse that's thrown in the bin. 

Comments

  1. I'm sorry to hear that you've been trolled, Mary. There are some very nasty people about. Keep up the good work.

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    1. Thanks so much Bruvver Eccles for your warm encouragement. You are a great support to us all. I have reason to blog about your blog pretty soon...

      With Grateful Thanks and God bless you and yours,

      Mary

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  2. You're much politer than I'd be! Sympathy, and, of course, prayers.

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    1. Dear Ttony,

      Thank you so much for your prayers - very kind of you. I will return them in my Rosary today.

      God bless (and reward) you and yours,

      Mary

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  3. Mary O'Regan! I can't bear the thought of anyone "trolling" you! I confess to not knowing of you or your work until last night when I watched the first episode of "Extraordinary Faith." And I confess to watching it primarily because I sing in the choir at the Mission San Juan Capistrano at the Tridentine Mass there. I was absolutely blown away! I had no idea what that little production crew was up to during your visit and regret missing you entirely. You are a spectacular spirit and talent and I wish you all the best. I will pray a special "anti-troll" Novena for you. Thank you for all you are doing! - John C.

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    1. Dear John,

      That was one of the nicest comments that I ever received while running this blog. Thank you so much for visiting me with good cheer.

      It is incredibly thoughtful of you to offer a novena for me. I must confess that I am humbled by your spiritual generosity. May you be rewarded richly.

      Give my best to Msgr. Holquin, he was a thorough gentleman and one of the highlights of filming in Mission San Jan Capistrano was interviewing him.

      I'm so glad that you sing in the choir, John. You have a busy week coming up. I hope all goes extremely well.

      God bless and reward you for your kindness,

      Mary

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  4. Thank you Mary. I will say hello to Msgr. Holquin for you. Your interview with him was outstanding. I look foward to reading your work and seeing more of you on camera. (I think you need your own show immediately! Who can I write to? ;)) Happy Easter! - John

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