Randy, you're a bitter old man and we're worried about you

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been the recipient of a heartwarming display of genuine concern from my anonymous and/or untraceable friends.

"Randy, we're worried about you," one wrote. "For years, I have admired your work, but lately, you have turned into a bitter old man..

Another one wrote, "Randy, you have totally ruined your reputation as a reporter and as a teacher. You''ve become an old grouch. You have to get over getting fired and start writing about something  positive. I am worried about you."

A third added this sentiment. "Randy, you are sounding more and more like an old whiner. You have so much to offer, but you are so negative."

That person was worried about me, too.

These messages have me extremely upset.

Why in the world do all anonymous and untraceable people think 57 is old?

I can live with the comments about being "bitter" and "grouchy" and being a "whiner," but come on, don't pick on a person just because he is on the wrong side of 50.

And be more generous with your use of adjectives- I am not old; I am well seasoned, perhaps loaded with wisdom (some would just say loaded), or aging gracefully. After all, I still have all of my hair- I keep it in a box under my bed.

I would say that the sudden rush of concern for me is more of a sign of the effectiveness of the Turner Report.

One anonymous reader said I had hurt my reputation and have grown "old and out of touch" (there's that word again), because I mix opinion with facts. No offense to this anonymous reader,but I have been writing the Turner Report for more than 10 years and it has always been accurately labeled as "news and commentary." My readers can tell the two apart.

The problem, as I see it, is that some of the powers-that-be in Joplin are more concerned that people are reading what I write, and many of them are agreeing with me. It has been rewarding over the past several weeks to hear from many readers who said they had never heard of the Turner Report, but now they read it every day. Many of them have also commented thoughts along the lines of "Why aren't we seeing any of this in the Joplin Globe?" They will have to ask Carol Stark about that.

As for me being bitter, nothing could be further from the truth, as anyone who has talked to me can tell you. The people who are bitter are the ones who are helpless because they cannot do anything about the world that surrounds them.

I do not accept that there are people who are so powerful that they cannot be touched. If the Joplin Globe had lived up to its responsibilities, there might not be a need for someone like me. If the Joplin Globe had been doing its job, the circumstances that brought about my departure from the teaching field would never have happened. Hundreds of others night still be employed in the Joplin School District. The situation that is developing with the city of Joplin and Wallace-Bajjali might never have occurred or the behavior of the firm might have been modified if they knew that they were being watched by reporters, rather than cheerleaders.

What my "anonymous friends" do not seem to realize is that the people of Joplin are intelligent. If I were feeding them a bunch of nonsense, they would have turned away a long time ago. My writing has a point of view, it certainly is filled with attitude, but it is based on truth and in most cases has been backed up with documents.

I am excited about having the opportunity to perform a service for the community.

But I'm not bitter...and I am certainly not old.