Protect your karma

"Insist on yourself; never imitate." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

My dear friends,

It has come to my attention that large portions of essays from 37days have made their way onto other sites in this wonderful blogosphere we all call home, not as if the blog authors were quoting 37days, but as if they had, indeed, written the essays themselves.

Much like the planet Earth, living in this WebWorld will be infinitely more tolerable--and, perhaps, even more meaningful--if we all follow Emerson's advice and insist on ourselves, write from our own heart, tell our own stories. Isn't that where the learning is, both for us and others?

So, for those who have felt a lack of self-ness such that it has driven you to take words from my heart to your blog, I'm sorry that you're in such an arid place in life; I hope for better things for you and would simply ask you to please rethink the impact on your karma.

As my most fabulous fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Smith, once said to me when I whispered an answer on a test to a little freckle-faced boy on whom I had a crush, "is it worth it?"

Let's each speak our own truth. Life will be simpler and kinder and infinitely more interesting then.

Love, Patti

Image from flickr

Comments

[Felicity]

Are you kidding? Good God. This kind of stuff always takes me by surprise. I'm guessing you're feeling shocked and violated and I'm sorry that you are being subjected to that.

[eliza]

i'm so sorry to hear that you've been plagiarized. and i REALLY appreciate your positive response to the culprits. well done!! they can't be completely ignorant about such things as the importance of honesty if they're spiritually hip enough to be ripping YOU off. maybe they'll hear you and wise up. in any case, you've given us all food for thought, as always, while keeping your own karma clean under some dodgy emotional circumstances. brava.

[Stacy Waltman]

Dearest Patti,

I have never seen such a loving and kind response to this issue. What an honor it is to receive your messages.

I also wanted to invite you to read: "Inside the Yoga Sutras : A Comprehensive Sourcebook for the Study & Practice of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras (Paperback) by Reverend Jaganath Carrera.

This book will illuminate for all of us how old the teachings are that we think are new or original.

I send out the reference not to diminish what you have written but simple to add to it.

Buckminster Fuller at one time stated that it is very very rare to have an original thought. We are all connected.

Thank you again for providng such a rich example of how to respond when we feel violated. You are remarkable.

With love,
Stacy

[Tish]

I am sorry that this has happened to you Patti. Perhaps a personal realization from the unfortunate violation is that you are a very talented writer, otherwise your work would not be copied. Now is it time to write your book(which would still be at risk of plagarizing, but at least copyrighted)? I hope this doesn't make you want to stop the blog, or worse, stop writing. I need to read your words. Thanks!

[Ellouise]

Patti -What a gracious response to a really dreadful trespass on your words. You teach us how to handle such with grace.
Ellouise

[Amy]

Yikes. You have a style. A love. An intonation. A compassion. A dialect. A sound. A ryhthm. Like no one else. If I stumble upon faux Patti, I'd still recognize it as you. Stealing from you would be like trying to sing like Bob Dylan or Natalie Merchant or Patty Griffin.

No one can take away from you the experiences that led you to make the connections that you do--and to write about them. That's protected deep in the center of you.

But you know that already.

Love,

A

[Marilyn]

What?! I'm so sorry to hear this has happened to you. Even though you've taken the high road here, I'm sort of hoping that you went to the offending site(s) and outed them in their comments. (Clean karma and revenge fantasies can be mutually exclusive, right?)

[Nicole]

What rubbish! I hope that you put the smack down on them

[Shawn]

I'm sorry to hear that Patti. It did raise a question for me: how did you discover it was happening?

[patti digh]

Thank you to everyone for your very gracious support. I've written personally to all those who have commented thusfar, but wanted to post a public thank you as well. In answer to Shawn's question, several different readers pointed me to 2 sites with 37days essays on them - my thanks to them as well. Hopefully, those bloggers will reclaim their own words soon.

[Carla]

Egads! How bizarre, sad and slightly creepy that people would steal such heartfelt, soulfelt, unique writing such as yours and try to pass it off as theirs. You've shown way more grace and compassion towards them than I would, m'dear! Well done.

[Mardougrrl]

This was the nicest post I have ever seen on the subject, but yes, IA with a previous poster...I'd recognize the rhythm and style of your writing anywhere. :)

[kyra]

my goodness! how appalling and sad. you respond here so eloquently and with such grace and poise! i came by way of felicity's site and so love your writing. i need not lift it! it's right here at my fingertips and i'll certainly be back. best to you!

[Pearl]

What a graceful response to unattributed use.

[patti digh]

Carla, Mardougrrl, Kyra, and Pearl - thanks for all your support and kind words - I really appreciate it!

[Phil Gerbyshak]

Patti - you are too unique to have anything stolen from you. Your gift to us will shine through as YOURS whenever we find it anywhere. Thank you for the most gentle smackdown ever!

[jylene]

how sad that anyone would feel the need to steal the beautiful words and feelings from your heart. you are at your most graceful in your response to this violation. i am so sorry that this has happened, but glad that you have publicly taken to task the offenders. please keep writing and please keep sharing with us, your loyal readers. with love, jylene