Trolling.

Ugh. People can be massive assholes. I know this because I started my Monday morning seeing multiple notifications from my business' Instagram page from an internet troll.

For those of you unaware of what trolling is in this day and age, I give you Urban dictionary's definition: 

"The art of deliberately, cleverly**, and secretly pissing people off, usually via the internet, using dialogue."

This guy has been trolling our page for a few weeks now, leaving snarky comments that have made me roll my eyes but not much more. Until yesterday, when I started scrolling to see that this former customer who is completely unjustified in being pissed at my business and totally and utterly wrong in directing his anger at me, decided to personally attack me. On the public social media page of the business that I help run. The same page whose very content I solely manage. **He isn't "clever" as I've been able to easily identify him, BTW. 

It's one thing to be mean, but at least have some common decency and do it behind my back or, better yet, to my fucking FACE. This individual is an adult male who is apparently incapable of being just that, AN ADULT, and cannot bring his issues up to me directly. He feels the need to do it in a cowardly fashion, using the internet to publicly shame me because it makes him feel better.

I wish I could say it doesn't bother me or that I was over it after a few minutes and a quick report of his abusive account, but I'm not. In fact, I'm pretty upset about it. The fact of the matter is that I'm a people pleaser by nature which I think would probably surprise a lot of people. I'm not quite as tough or as scary as some people seem to think I am, so this hurts pretty badly. And I hate that it does. I hate that I'm allowing some coward to get to me so much, but I think that has something to do with the fact that this has never ever happened in 15 years of managing retail businesses. Personal attacks on me for nothing.

I can be tough and straight forward, yes. I can be rough around the edges and don't always come off as demure, but I am reasonable and I treat others as I am treated. You know, that Golden rule. My career isn't a conventional one. It wasn't a straight forward or clear path and it certainly isn't something a lot of people would necessarily choose to do. But I love it and I take great pride in the blood, sweat and tears that have gotten me here. I'm doing something that not a lot of girls get to do and I'm pretty damn proud of that fact. 

So, to hell with that dickbag troll. I'll move on knowing I can sleep well at night because I'm not (nor will I ever be) sitting behind a screen attacking people. Can't say the same for not-so-clever former customer...poor dude.