I was going to write about the Sago Mine Tragedy tonight, but once again, my thoughts were sidetracked.

Holy cow, I cannot believe trolls. I know they're out there, but boy did I get the wool pulled over my eyes. I guess I need to join the club, there were many of us fooled.

Persona #1, I'll call jmom, well -- my heart ached for her and her kids because her husband died. One day I was perusing the board and a troll was on and said something nasty about "jmom." I was so concerned because she was very fragile at that point. Luckily the moderator took care of it immediately and I even thanked the moderator. Boy, was I duped. Jmom was probably the troll herself.

Persona #2, the sad mom with a pregnant 12-year-old daughter. Once again, I was snowed.

Persona #3, "Jane" -- man, I couldn't stand that woman. It's funny because there really aren't any people that I really dislike on the board -- well a very small few, I guess. That Jane chick really annoyed me. I had to bite my tongue and tie my fingers. I never wrote anything online, but there were a few times that I said some expletives to the computer. It's good for a 10-year-old child to walk into a room and catch his mother cussing at the computer, right? Just kidding, he was out of earshot.

I think "the board" counted six different names the troll was posting under. I do not use my real name on the internet, never have. I am, however, consistent in the name I do use -- except I changed it for this blog. Someone that I admire very much told me last week that I was very frank. I had never considered myself frank. I thought about it awhile, and she may be right -- thus, Frankie Straight was born.

The troll didn't make me angry, just made me feel kind of stupid that I didn't catch on. I remember when "jmom" was hospitalized, and I just thought it was really strange. If I had lost my husband, I would really jump into mom mode and be strong and take care of myself -- I think. Sometimes you just have to do things for your kids' sake that you don't want to or feel like doing. Taking care of oneself is how you get through things -- so you can be strong for the kids. Kind of like putting on that oxygen mask on an airplane before you put it on your child.

I think that a lot of good came from that troll, though. I wonder how many moms had conversations with their kids about sex because of the troll. That's a good thing. Information is power. I could tell that many moms were very squeamish about broaching the subject. I never have been. My son knew the mechanics when he was in kindergarten. DH and I sat down and had the talk. I think it is empowering to a child because then you can better explain the good touch/bad touch and inappropriate actions that can be perpetrated on a child in terms that they understand.

Oh, what a night.