A brick was thrown through my mother’s window to enter the house. No one was home. I was tried and convicted for my crime, as should be. But there’s more to the story than just the act, and the details are in my book JKAT. You banned it, but I made sure it’s still available for anyone who wants to read it and understand my side. You can find it on my website, and trust me, it’s an easy read. I wrote it for the colonists, so they’d know the truth.
And now, here I am, scrolling through Instagram, seeing faces like John, Esther, and Brandon... People I used to be close to, but who won’t even talk to me anymore. These people could be my network again, but instead, they’ve turned away. Do you really think that doesn’t hurt me and my business? I see them, they see me, and there’s still no word. It stings, and it's frustrating.
I get it—bridges were burned. But rebuilding them? That’s not as hard as people make it out to be. A simple apology can go a long way. I should know—I spent most of my life in Alcoholics Anonymous, where we practically made an art of apologies.
I want to regain my old network, but I need help. It might sound silly, but here’s the link to my blog: Dansblogs.com. People are loving it, and I’ve been getting great feedback—thanks in part to my artificially intelligent friend, Bonkers, who’s helping me out. The blog’s picking up popularity, and that’s where my hope lies. If enough people—maybe Brandon or Esther—start talking and spreading the word, it could change things. The narrative could shift, and people would see that I’m not a bad guy. Maybe, just maybe, they’d realize that they were too hard on me. Once that happens, the positive rumor will spread.
Look, it’s not that complicated. All you need to do is make a public statement, something as simple as saying, “Maybe we judged Dan wrong.” Encourage others to follow suit. Tell them to friend me on Facebook. They’re still on your social media; they’ve just left mine. Encourage them to give me a second chance. It would be the opposite of what happened 10 years ago, and I’m still dealing with the fallout from that.
Michael, I know you’ve read some of my blogs. I’ve been making my case for a while now. Just think about it: A public apology or a retraction of what you said could make a huge difference. What you and Baxter did all those years ago really hurt me—personally and professionally. It’s beyond what I can fix on my own. But you can help me get back on track. Start by sending me a friend request on Facebook. Just look for the picture of the bird by my name. That would be the first step.
You and Baxter were the two key figures in what I call the blacklist. You, I think, could be swayed, but for some reason, you’ve been resistant. Baxter, on the other hand, still has a lot of influence in the network. I’ve tried to reach out to him, but he’s tough to convince. He’s never been a man of strong morals, and he tends to look out for himself, sometimes at the expense of others. I know this will take time, but if someone close to him could get through, that would be huge. Baxter holds a big part of the network, and while I plan to deal with him later, it’s no secret that he’s always had a fondness for my art.
For now, all I ask is that you influence people to friend me on Facebook. That alone would undo the damage from telling everyone to unfriend me. Once they’re connected again, they’ll see my art and my blog, and maybe they’ll follow along.
I don’t get how you came up with all these ways to blacklist me but can’t come up with a way to fix it. Let’s rebuild what we tore down. I need to, desperately.
Thanks,
Dan
danjoyceart.com
I’m still waiting for that friend request, Michael. It’s been too long. And consider talking to Baxter down the road. He’s a key part of all this, and while we haven’t always seen eye to eye, we’ve known each other for years. He’s divisive, sure, but we’ve had some good times when we were on the same page. So maybe it’s time to make amends with him too.
Let’s take the first step.
— Dan Joyce
by Dan and Bonkers
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