Flames

Have you been flamed?

I’ve received two emails in the last fortnight that would fall into this category.  Abusive, threatening and designed to intimidate. 

I consider myself to be a fairly level-headed person and I know that not everyone can like you, but I find these emails to be upsetting.  They are, as the saying goes, spoiling my time in the house.

It is also very difficult to confront the person who is sending them.  They work.  I am intimidated.  And that is quite confronting for me to own.  That is not to say I haven’t taken some action.  I have forwarded the emails on to my boss and she has spoken to the person involved, who in fact I do like, most of the time.

It makes me think… if I feel so affected by just two emails, how on earth do people cope with sustained abuse?  For the first time, I have an inkling how hard it is for women to walk away from abusive relationships.  For kids to stand up to schoolyard bullies.

For now, I am focussing on not letting this intimidation affect the decisions I make.  My feeling is if I do, then I am rewarding this bad behaviour.  Is it enough action?  I don’t know.  It becomes a very personal decision and I don’t want to be “rescued” by well meaning others.  If it continues, I guess I’ll have to look again at my options. 

And I thought I’d left school!