Misplaced Mitch, age 24 Fatherly Mitch, ageless
Well, this is interesting. A couple of days ago I posted a memoir entry with the tongue-in-cheek title “My Temptress From Texas” (later retitled “The Girl From Texas”), and it drew very low traffic. Hey, that happens, right? True. Except that the last time it happened was also in response to a memoir post about teenage sexual desires (Sex 101). That post eventually found its readers, just as this one will, I trust. However…
I have a theory. Two theories, actually. The first is that combining tag words like sex, lust and teenager limits inclusion in the WordPress Reader (source of most WP traffic). The second is that my memoir fans prefer reading about Innocent Mitch to reading about Hormonal Mitch. Couple that with my rep as a sort of fatherly wit-and-wisdom figure and, well, ew, who wants to read about their father’s sex life, right?
So, here’s my confession: Before I was Fatherly Mitch I was Misplaced Mitch, a young man in his late teens through mid-20s who tried drugs, got rip-snorting drunk more than once, and was, to be blunt, very promiscuous. And so, yes, as my memoirs reach the post-high-school years, I’ll be writing about that guy.
You have my promise, though, that I won’t be salacious or wallow in unsavory details, nor will I only talk about my bad behavior (I occasionally did something good). I’ll even make moral-philosophical observations at times. But not always. Mostly, I’ll let my story, good, bad, and everything in between…
Speak for itself.
I was recently talking about my blog, and I said the only topic I intentionally don’t delve into is sex. I read a post a while back by someone (not you) whose graphic sexual post really made me cringe. That didn’t happen with your teenage temptress post. In fact, I wouldn’t even give it a PG13 rating. I think it’s fine to say it happened without going into details. Regarding references to teen age sex: When I was a young adult I loved a song called Teenage Kicks by the Undertones (about teenage sex). When I recently signed up for Spotify, I downloaded that song. As I was singing along, it suddenly hit me “Eww!” Teenage sex is only appropriate for teenagers.
;>) Thanks, Jeff!
I love your memoirs. There are a lot of things I would go back and change in my life but it all made me who I am today. I value and respect your honesty. Thanks for sharing your story.
Thanks back, Doug!
Theory #3: You attract a religious crowd and as you and I know, they don’t like to read about lust or anything that rattles their religious boat, because that’s only done at home behind closed doors -of course after marriage. 🙂
I find very compelling the difference in your eyes in those two photos. In the younger photo I see an almost manic hunger, and in the older one a contented peace. I’m glad you made your way to where you are now.
Aw, thanks, Abe. Although that look may, at least in part, be due to the fact that it’s a blurry old snapshot. I pushed up the clarity in my photo editing app and came out looking a bit cross-eyed or, as you say, manic.
Lol, fair enough. And no offense intended!
I agree with ‘nonsmokingladybug — many of your readers are of a religious bent (how’s that for a loaded word!) and a tad self-righteous for outspoken sexual honesty; then there are those of us who thought the Texas Temptress was one of your best stories. It sure as shootin’ brought back a lot of memories for most of us.
I like the entire Mitch in all his permutations!
Aw, thanks, Mark!
You know….I get most of my traffic…around 80 percent or higher from google searches. Maybe it’s because of what I post and people searching for songs and pop culture.
Looking foward to it Mitch.
That makes sense with your music focus (which I love), Max. In my case, WordPress Reader dwarfs all the other sources (Google is a distant fifth).
I never thought of that but you are right. Pop culture searches lead people to me a lot of times…from WP I get the rest.
Just found the door to get back on WP comments. I believe the problem could be that there may also be the associated thing with … stuff like trafficking and under-aged stuff…the wrong kind of …. ummm…traffic to put it as politely as I can. Especially with the news of things being found online that are inappropriate and charges and such that go with. It is just a thought on what might be happening. Could be wrong.
Another thought…some are not comfortable with the topic to begin with…not sure nowadays how many…but there’s also that. Anyway, hope any of it is of help.
You may well be right, Jean. That’s why I thought tagging the words I mentioned–in the same post–might have triggered red flag warnings regarding underage trafficking.
On the bright side, I’m assuming that there were no federal agents at your door either… It might have also triggered concerns about under age intimacy with of age folks. So, bonus no feds at the door 😉
I daresay, Mitch, that every one of us has a teenage sex story, or maybe three. We “religious” folks just don’t like to talk about them, much like we don’t want to talk about “sin.” Not talking about them doesn’t make them go away. All kinds of behaviours and attitudes fall into this “out of sight, out of mind” basket. It takes courage and blunt honesty to put them into words, especially in a blog. I loved the Texas Temptress, and I can hardly wait for the next installment of Mitch’s True Memoir!❤️✝️🙏
Aw, thank you so much, Gail!
Tell it like it was, Mitch. A person can always get up and change the WordPress channel. 📺
;>)
I appreciate your honesty, Mitch–that’s who you were then; this is who you are now– BIG contrast! Many memoir-writers leave out the less-than-stellar moments of their lives. You’re keeping it real.
Thank you, dear friend.
I’ve always been personally thankful that the Parousia held off back when..!
;>) Amen.
You can’t be the one with contented peace in your eyes until you’ve experienced the change in perception that comes with age and the wisdom acquired through a higher source.
I am of a religious bent…I lean when I walk and I mention God’s name profusely when it hurts. I couldn’t be less offended by your tales of teenage adventures as they are not unique to you.
Your stories always have a lesson learned or a change in attitude that has resulted in your maturity and mental and spiritual growth. The point of the stories is not the behavior, but the purpose of telling the story.
Thank you for your insightful thoughts, Rebecca.
Okay, let’s talk about the important “elephant in the room” issue here. Is that a wig you’re wearing when you were 24 in your “misplaced Mitch” photo? 🙂
;>) No, that was my very own, very unstyled pre-grey hair, Nancy.
Yes, good for you, Nancy, let’s get to the important stuff!
I spend a lot of time adventuring in the PNW and have found the path is almost always more interesting than the destination. Keep writing honestly, my friend.
Thanks, Tracy!
Mitch, most of us guys have those stories. I rather enjoyed your post about the girl from Texas, it reminded me of myself. Of course, I am a Texan and still live here, and am married to my high school sweetie and am now an old goat. But you have some good stories to tell. Keep them coming. Our kids and grandkids are a bit shocked to hear some of our escapades, but we were young too, once, and I remind them of that. WP has cracked down on some things, a few years ago, folks were putting some bad things on here, now I don’t see it.
Thanks, my friend.
You should always write for yourself and not for your readers. Honesty is always welcome. I may have missed that one, so I’m sorry I didn’t see it. It sounds fun.
Back in the Live Journal days when I was single, I wrote about sex (not graphic, but joked about it).
Now I’m very happily married and therefore more private,
Also, guys from the past mean nothing to me. I don’t have any “one that got away” stories because I was always glad to get rid of them (ha-ha!)
I stayed friends with just one over the years, who was like a brother to me after we were no longer romantic. He was a great friend and died of a heart attack a few years ago.
Thanks for sharing your perspective, Maryanne. Much appreciated.
Thank you for being unapologetically real. I gravitate toward that, and it’s mildly irritating that so many people gravitate toward whitewashed, pious accounts which lack any inspiration because they seem flat and well, frankly, one-dimensional.
Thank you for your supportive words, Audrey.
So handsome! I am here to see all sides of you shared here ❤️
Aw, thanks, April.
The truth of it is, by sharing a bit of the story of who you WERE, God and His redeeming love are glorified by the evidence of who you ARE. No need for graphic details, but as gifted a writer as you are will have no problem conveying the message without offending The Church Lady. 😉
Aw, bless you, Laura — and good to hear from you.
Mitch, standing-o for this post. The tag issue is critical, to be sure. Not just for WordPress, but for search engines. All that aside, dare I say you just opened up a writer’s block for my memoir. How do I tell the truth about all the filth that happened when I was “Other Steve?” In telling my story or testimony, I am “raw but not filthy.” I like your “not be salacious” remark. I also make sure I am not glorifying past behavior. Like you, my life went off the rails when I started getting drunk and high. It took me 42 years to “get and stay” clean. Thanks for being bold and vulnerable in this post. I would like to engage with you more, perhaps to help me put the past together and be raw but not salacious, as you said it. Please email me and provide your phone number if you are willing. Please keep up what you are doing. I love it! Steven (aka TheAccidentalApologist).
I’m grateful for the encouragement, and more than happy to encourage you as well, Steven!
Now that you confessed you will have to troll yourself, engage in self vilification and then cancel yourself. It’s the modern way.
;>)
I admire you for not being afraid to share your memories and to laugh at yourself. I thought that was a great post.
Thank you, Kellye.
To me the journey starts with need and with age and grace grows into love. Whole different ballgame. Since I was a fifties’ teenager, fear of pregnancy was the deterrent, not mature spirituality. And my generation generally just told our kids, “Don’t do it!” In the much freer situations they had to cope with, that wasn’t very helpful. I had four boys and one girl. Three ended up parents at a very early age. I probably shocked some at church when I said, “Thank God for my two gay kids!” A large percentage of my friends who are ten years younger than I am have had reunions with children they gave up for adoption when unmarried. I am much more sympathetic to my sons now that my hormonal balance has shifted in old age. Testosterone predominance isn’t an easy state. It’s time to get real about hormones and the fact that the part of the brain that recognizes consequences doesn’t fully developed until close to thirty years of age.
That’s quite a journey, Eileen.