The Plague Has Arrived
Well folks, I’m sick. I think it’s official. I’m not one of those who claims to “never get sick,” but I will say that I rarely do. When I do, it’s nothing big. I’ve never had the flu. Occasionally, I might get a 24-hour stomach bug, and a few times a year, I get a migraine, but mostly, I just end up with a bit of a runny nose sometime during the winter months.
My Stubbornness Meets Its Match
I’m not a fan of most medications, so I avoid them at all costs, but today? Today, I waved the white flag and stocked up on both daytime and nighttime cold medicine. My usual runny nose has transformed into full-blown nasal congestion. My nose is running like a sieve, my ears feel full—not quite painful, but definitely weird—and I have chills. No fever, though, and no real cough, though I am enjoying the cough drops I picked up because, hey, when you’re sick, sometimes you just have to find small joys.
The Germ-Free Office Warrior
Unfortunately, feeling like garbage means wearing a mask at work so that I can be there, be productive, and keep my germs to myself. Hand sanitizer is currently my best friend, along with the medical office-grade sanitization wipes (which I lovingly call “cancer wipes” because they literally have a warning that contact with skin can lead to kidney cancer). My hands are so dry they might start resembling sandpaper despite the gallons of lotion I’ve been slathering on.
I normally wash and sanitize frequently, but these past couple of days, I’ve increased it by about 1,000%. If my hands actually start flaking away, I expect a moment of silence for them, please.
Walking Through the Misery
Because of this plague, I seriously debated skipping my walk last night and tonight, especially since I worked late today. But in true stubborn fashion, I walked anyway. Last night was positively freezing, and the wind on the way back home made it worse. Tonight was a bit warmer, and Pirate and Hazel joined us (Pirate has been dealing with some aches and pains, so they’ve been skipping our usual walks for the last week). We’ve worked up to walking just over 2 miles—2.24 to be exact—every night. Not bad for someone who currently feels like a walking biohazard.
The Weigh-In Dilemma
I’ve debated the past few days about doing some sort of “weekly weigh-in” thing since my blog originally started as an accountability log to keep me on track with my health and weight loss journey. So tonight, I’ll tell you that I’m currently hovering around 238 pounds, with some fluctuation between 235 and 240. The upward swings? Not cool. But the downward ones? I’ll take them.
That said, I’m skipping the scale for the next few days because I had a few bites of potatoes tonight. (Yes, I know. The dreaded carbs. But I don’t feel well, and it was a lazy dinner night.) I’ll think more about the weigh-in format and start next week. Should it be a full blog post? A “Thought Nugget?” A new category all its own? Drop a comment if you have an idea!
A Lesson in Plagiarism
Now, let’s talk about something different—something that happened on Facebook.
After the girls’ first cheer competition this season, I made a public post on one of the local rant-and-rave pages. You all know them. You love them and hate them at the same time. Usually, I just scroll for entertainment, but this time, I wanted to shout out the girls for their hard work. I posted a picture of the team with their trophies, and it was well-received. People loved seeing their achievements recognized.
After their latest competition, I did it again—a congratulations post encouraging the community to support the girls at their next competition. I included a picture taken by their head coach’s daughter, who graciously let all the parents download the photos for free (seriously, how awesome is that?). Again, the post was well received.
Then, a few days later, someone asked if I had seen an article on a local online news source. I hadn’t, so I searched for it—and there it was. The first line of my post was their “catch” line, with only one word added.
I clicked the link, dodged an army of pop-up ads, and there it was: my entire post, word for word, except for that one added word. No name crediting me. Just the date I originally posted it. And the best part? It was on their paid website—the kind where you have to close out of three ads and scroll past a dozen more just to read anything, because every click and every second you spend there makes them money.
The Aftermath
I was floored. Angry. Hurt. Even a little betrayed. How could a so-called “reporter” blatantly steal my words and pass them off as their own? We learn about plagiarism in elementary school!
Before this blog, I never really thought of myself as a writer. I wrote professional letters, helped friends with drafts, and that was about it. But now, every time I write a blog or a social media post, I feel like I improve just a bit more. Seeing someone take my words without credit? It stung.
I commented on their post, sarcastically thanking them for enjoying my work. I also messaged their page. They apologized profusely and removed both the Facebook post and website article. I accepted the apology, but I lost all respect for them.
And the irony? If they had just asked me beforehand, I probably would have said yes—if they had properly credited me and maybe even thrown a little payment my way. After all, they were making money off my words before they got caught. Maybe I should have billed them for my first gig as a “local reporter.” Seems only fair, right?
Still, their claim that they “didn’t know” it was plagiarism? Hard to believe. I’ll be cautious if I’m ever given the opportunity to work with people like that in the future.
Protect Your Work
To all of you out there creating things, pouring your heart into your work, and sharing it with the world—I hope you never experience something like this. It’s awful. It’s frustrating. And it’s just plain wrong.
That’s enough medication-induced ranting for the night. Hopefully, next time we chat, I’ll be germ-free and less irritated.
Until then, stay well, wash your hands, and for the love of all that is good—credit people for their work.
Cheers,
Tara Ann