An Open Letter To My Loyal Fans

by Gregory B. Gonzalez

I’ve never really understood why people like my work. For that matter, it blows my mind that I actually have fans. You’d think my ego would have grown out of control at this point, but if anything, it’s only made me more humble and appreciative of them.

I’m my own worst critic. I honestly don’t think I’m all that great at what I do, which isn’t to say I think I suck. There’s a lot of stuff I’ve done that I am super proud of, but I rarely pat myself on the back. When I get complimented on something, it doesn’t feel quite real to me, almost as if people are talking to someone else.

Over the years, I’ve been told I was talented, should write for the New York Times, and been compared to my idol, Woody Allen. Each time, I’m like, “Who, me?” Like I said, I don’t get it all. Either I’m a good writer, or you people are blind.

My gift for writing was pointed out to me by my 6th-grade teacher, Mrs. O’Day, whom I thought hated my guts. She read some story I wrote that was assigned to us by a substitute that she loved. She called my parents in for a conference, and I waited outside the classroom, shitting a brick and thinking I was in trouble.

When the parent/teacher conference was over, my parents came out with the weirdest expressions on their faces, almost like they’d walked in halfway through a gay porn snuff film. My go-to question was, “Ok, how much trouble am I in?”

My Mother replied, “You’re not in trouble, son. Mrs. O’Day called us in to tell us how gifted you are as a writer! She went on and on about that story you wrote!”

I nearly died from shock. “Seriously?”

It was one of the few times my Dad ever said, “I’m proud of you, Son!”

I think it was the first time I ever felt like I was good at anything other than golf. See, my Father wanted me to grow up to be a professional golfer, so he would drag me out to the driving range a few times a month and tried his best to turn me into Tiger Woods, all because he thought I had a natural swing and a talent for the sport. In truth, I hated it.

I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but I found that I liked to write. I kept writing little short stories of what my adult life would be like if I were a superhero. Hey, what do you want? I was twelve. It would be eleven more years until the sense of humor kicked in.

So yeah, that’s how it started.

And to this day, no matter what I’ve done, people have gravitated to my work. So I guess you’re wondering why I haven’t hit the big time yet. Truth is, it’s probably a little bit of insecurity and a little bit of rebelliousness. Since I don’t think I’m hot shit, I don’t see why anyone would give me a shot at the big time. That, and I don’t relish the thought of having some mouthbreather nag me about what to write or how to write it. It’s kind of like that scene in Amadeus where you had that dickhead in the powdered wig ripping out pages from Wolfgang’s score because he thought there were too many notes.

Besides, I think of writing as a calling, not a vocational skill. If I can use my talents to make people smile, laugh, cry, or think, then I’m happy.

Having said that, my fanbase means a lot to me. When I first started writing for MadMikesAmerica, Mike emailed me one day to let me know that people were emailing him, saying they liked my work. And again, I was like, “Seriously?”

I find it amazing that not only do I have fans all over the country, but the world, too. And I don’t even have that big a platform.

I think my most mindboggling experience came when I actually met a fan. Last year, when I was in the hospital recovering from foot surgery, I met my friend, Caryn, who was my physical therapist. As we chatted during sessions, we talked about politics and other stuff. When she asked me what I did, I told her I was a writer. I showed her one of my articles, which she said she had read before. One of my Trump articles that had been forwarded to her by a friend on Facebook.

Dubious, she asked me, “You really wrote this?”

I was like, “God, I certainly hope so. Either that or somebody’s trying to cash in on my name and work!” With my luck, they’re probably making more money with it.

Caryn laughed and told me how much she enjoyed my work. How weird is it that I actually met a fan in person? What are the odds, a million to one? Considering how many political websites that exist on the internet, the odds of such an occurrence must be astronomical.

The next question you must be wondering is, who do I consider to be my biggest fan? It’s only hard in that there are so many people who could fit that profile. It could be Mike, who gave me a chance and lets me play in his pond, or it could be Jess, who seems to enjoy my articles, or even my ex, Kathee, who has been my greatest fan since before anybody knew I existed.

But if I had to pick a name, it would be a woman named Anne Cohen. She has her own website and it’s where I write about relationships, funny stories, and other things. Anne loves the way I write in a way no one else can appreciate because she’s a writer like me.

When she asked me to write for her, I was reluctant at first, mostly because I didn’t want to take on more work, but she has this… way about her. It inspires me in a way that I’ve never known. It pushes me to be a better writer and a better person.

I felt like I let everyone down when I quit a few years ago, but emotionally, I hit the wall. Things just built up to the point where I was a coiled spring about to pop. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that I finally did.

I was honestly afraid when I was in the hospital, rehabbing from my stroke. I wanted to get my life back, and that included writing. I thought I wouldn’t be able to anymore, but as it turns out, I came back stronger than ever. My comeback article about my stroke was a big hit. It even made me a celebrity at the hospital I was recovering at. The medical staff spread it like wildfire.

So yeah, I’m back, and I don’t plan on leaving again. I even got back on Anne Cohen Writes. But that’s another story.

When I told Mike that I got back on ACW, he asked me if I was leaving again. I laughed and told him that I wasn’t going anywhere- I could do both.  Mike is a friend and a mentor, and unlike some people, loyalty means something to me. I’m loyal to ACW, but my reasons for staying are a little different.

As far as my fanbase goes, no, I’m not abandoning you, either. I do this because of you, and no matter what happens, where I go, or how big I get, I promise I will always do my best to make you chuckle and put a smile on your face. Thank you. Seriously.

In Case You Missed It: Charley and Me

Happy

0 0 %

Sad

0 0 %

Excited

0 0 %

Sleepy

0 0 %

Angry

0 0 %

Surprise

0 0 %