Are Vocal staff overwhelmed and need help

My go to place for comfort and calm now feels like it is slowly slipping away from me.

Am I losing the fight to stay sane and centered by turning to writing and reading to calm the extremely loud voices and noises that are now the norm of a very confused and scared world.

Vocal being the straw that a drowning cache of writers and readers are desperately clutching at to keep us from drowning, needs to still feel that it is there when we need it to be.

Lately I feel, and presumptuously I also feel that other writers feel, that we are stuck in Vocal limbo going nowhere very fast. Just like that Runaway train challenge that is fast winding down and will soon disappear into the annals of Vocal history, so are we too destined, not for the hall or wall of fame of writers everywhere, but to the writer's graveyard, where dreams go to expire.

It has been four (4) whole days that my story has sat patiently waiting for a smidgen of attention from the folks over there in OZ, otherwise called VOCAL. It seems to be taking longer and longer as time goes by for us to receive the courtesy of our work getting published.

I totally understand that business is booming and there are way greater priorities than the little ant that I am to the Vocal folks. On the other hand, promises were made to me, us, of great things to expect if we but join the parade of writers promenading their wares on the very thoughtful platform that we, albeit frustrated, would still like to feel that we are a part of.

Is it too much to ask that our stories are published, or not published, in a timely manner, after all time is money on this site, is it not? This is not a complaint, it is more of an observation that is mildly to some, and greatly to others, but annoying nonetheless. It is also a means of making a suggestion.

It appears to me that Vocal is in need of additional staff to handle the great deal of projects that they are obviously branching out and getting involved in. That is really great, both for them and for us.

But do not forget the flowers and leaves that are just as, or even more important than the stems, roots, trunk and far reaching branches stretching all over the world. Parts of the tree stands still, while others must continuously grow and thrive for each other to exist. All parts need each other in order to survive.

Vocal is doing great things, and we continue to expect great things from them. But, while some on the platform are getting a lot of recognition, others are struggling. Some feel left out and unimportant. That is no fault of Vocal to be sure. But, it is a stark reality. We all want to feel that we are a part of the whole really huge and daunting picture. From where I sit, honestly, sometimes I just want to give it all up. But the pull of writing is far greater than receiving kudos from the individuals who judge and determine who deserve those praises.

People may be afraid to voice their concerns, I have certainly read comments and concerns on random group sites, that echoes my own concerns. Vocal is a site that promises fairness and the integration of appropriate content equally to all. We are not all great writers, but we all are great readers.

No one wants to feel that they are just fodder, merely a blade of grass feeding the winning horses a they gallop to the finish line.

Simply pay attention to our stories and at least get them published, there are deadlines on challenges, four days or more without being published is unacceptable and unfair to those who have to wait, while other stories are getting well needed exposure.

We appreciate and commiserate with the staff for their hard work.

The irony in all this is that it may take them six days to get to this story.

N.A.