It's probably contrary to the blogger's code of ethics or something, but I deleted the previous post ("Plastic Bubble").

It's been bothering me since I wrote it. That post was a complete lie. The fact is, my life's been a mess since last week, when I lost my passport. Without it, I have no ID, no work Visa, and if the police ever stopped me for some reason, I could be deported. That may seem like the sort of thing I could have mentioned, but I really didn't want to become one of those people who posts endless "woe-is-me" cries for sympathy on their own blog.

This is a bit of a sore point with me, actually. I fall into the cry-for-help trap way too easily. That first morning, when I came into work, every time someone asked me "How are ya, Mike?" all I wanted to say was, "Awful! I lost my passport! I might get deported!" Not cool. So instead I just gritted my teeth and mumbled, "I've been better. How 'bout you?"

And then, a day or two later, I posted that entry on The Account, trying to make it sound like I'm just having a bad hair day or something.

This blogging thing is harder than it looks. There's this weird emotional feedback loop that develops. You have to be just honest enough that your readers feel like they're connecting with you, but not so honest that you drive people away with your neediness. (People who aren't needy tend not to have blogs.)

So, I blew it. In an effort to avoid turning last week's entry into the ending of every I Love Lucy episode, where Lucy screams "Waaaaa!", I just lied about how I was doing, which did not, in hindsight, make me feel better. Well, this'll make me feel better. I've deleted "Plastic Bubble" and will now proceed to tell you the whole sordid tale.

(And from now on, I promise, no more bitching about how I don't have a phone.)