Let me quickly say I didnt mean “pissed off” for ANY of the reasons you suggested, Petite. It was because of the sheer ungratefulness towards those who offered you advice and support; you even went so far as to whine about people trying to help. Considering how much your blogging HAD changed, and how much you began talking about yourself more and more, yet we were still around offering out advice…yes, even a kind of friendship as the poster above says, we DID invest time, energy and feeling into you…considering all that, the least we could have got was the odd thanks. But what did we actually get? We got the whining, the self pity, the “oh my lifes so hard”. Well guess what Petite, some of us were going through hell while you blogged, but STILL offered you kind words. Im by no means belittling what youve been through, or what you may have been through privately. But a bit of warmth and respect was not too much to ask

I do not have ulterior motives for posting and I find the accusation that I do a bit of a pathetic attempt at an attack. I hope I have now made it clear why I said what I said. I wasnt lashing, I was just making the observation and reminding you and others that people do have reason to be a bit hostile

Best of luck

As a Devil’s Advocate,I would not go quite as far as to describe Maxi’s post as a “lashing”. People can agree or disagree with the sentiments expressed but I don’t think anyone should be suprised by any of these feelings- be they some veteran readers who feel dissappointed by the changes on this blog or Petite’s evident hurt at their reaction.
Many readers will have felt that they have/had developed a “relationship” with Petite through her blog; as they shared the journey of her trials and tribulations over many months.Some may have invested time and emotional energy into this relationship,feeling symapthy,empathy and in many cases,offering well intended support and councel.This “virtual” relationship is not so very different from any “real” relationship.As we all know,when the landscape changes in any relationship,some people yearn for the “way it used to be”. The nature and motives for Petite’s blog have undoubtedly changed and evolved over time,as has her relationship with her readership.For some this is hard to accept,particularly if some feel that they,through their support,may in some small way have contributed to Petite’s success. This “hurt” can manisfest itself in many ways,including cynicism,bullying words etc etc – no different to what goes on in my house!Enough Psycho-twaddle-time for a cuppa and it’ll all be fine!

Because my life changed and you preferred me when I was a frustrated secretary?

Because the comments box of the blog has evolved over time? (I miss the old days too, when it was a small, tight-knit community, but those days ended when I was outed and in the press, and there was little I could do about that).

Because I began to feel that I was running out of blogging steam after 4 years, but you strongly believe I don’t have the right to blog less and owe you a daily diary entry, regardless of how I’m feeling and whatever pressure I’m under?

Because I dare to promote my own book on the website it was born out of? (Which seems logical to me, but perhaps I should have kept a dignified silence and pretended none of this had happened?)

Things have slowed down around here for a lot of reasons that I haven’t been able to or wanted go into, now that I’m no longer anonymous.

I think what amazes me the most is the capacity of some of my erstwhile readers to assume the worst of me, accusing me of laziness or claiming I’m turning my back on ‘those who got me where I am today’ because I feel I don’t need them any more.

In conclusion, yes, you are entitled to your say, but I think you should examine your own motivations for lashing out at me in this way.

So I have to go with gonzales. Sigh