He sent me more private messages, calling me “a pathetic loser” and a “three-star writer on Textbroker that got banned.”

I tried to respond on LinkedIn, but because I had unfollowed him I was unable to respond to his attack. I was very professional in my response, even to go as far as to tell him to “let it go.”

I went to Facebook and tagged the business, in hopes that he reads my response. I wrote a damn good response, banishing any thoughts he had of me, and correcting him in the process.

I won’t bore you with the details. That’s not what this is about.

This is about being “super.”

I’ve been pretty forward with my mental issues, but I have shown that I am trying. In the adversity of my downfalls, I keep trying and trying and trying.

You know why? Because I’m “super.”

Since I stopped working, and have taken a break from the business world, I have felt stronger. I stand up for myself. I refuse to be treated with disrespect. I also try to get what I want, as much as I can and within reason. For over twenty years, I have lived in this shell, afraid of being “super”; of being the man I should be. I shouldn’t be treated with disrespect. I shouldn’t be shit on. I refuse to be shit on.

I called out a book newsletter for giving me a horribly used book, because they weren’t upfront with their fans. And they still aren’t. But, you know what? Because I refused to take something that I felt they were taking people for granted, I instead fought back by calling them out and they sent me a brand new book and apologized. Before, I just would have accepted it, because I thought I was everyone’s “whipping boy.”

I am strong. I am open about my issues so that people realize that they are not alone, and hopefully they too can feel stronger.

“Super.”

I could have picked Superman for this post and posted his iconic symbol. Instead, I picked an unknown in public domain. Why? You may have thought because I didn’t want DC Comics to come back at me and tell me I couldn’t use their property, but I wanted to show that anybody, including this unknown that people nowadays have never heard about, and show that he was indeed “super.”

Don’t let people shut you down.

Don’t let people take advantage of you.

Don’t let people say no.

Why? Because you are “super.” I believe in you, even if I don’t know you. I believe in you. You don’t deserve to feel like you can’t be heard. I know what you’re capable of, and you should too because you are “super.”

Dammit. Promise me you won’t forget that. We are all strong.

We are all “super.”