Heather, I appreciate your receptive reply to me. I don’t know what I expected from you, but I was a bit afraid of what I might receive. Just like you, I was introduced to Medium by a friend — actually, a Facebook friend that I had not met, who suggested I write some more after only seeing a response to one of her posts. Unlike you, my first stories were only about me — “the good, the bad, the funny, the ugly.” At first I couldn’t believe I was actually laying it all out for the world to see, but every time I hit publish, I had the most exhilarating sense of freedom!

When I wrote to you, it was the first time I wrote a response that wasn’t either explaining myself to one of my readers that might have misunderstood something I said or thanking someone for responding to one of my stories. Last night I branched out and sent you a response that was inspired by “the newer me— the me that tries to think before she speaks.” It’s only been in the past few years that I have begun to explore if there wasn’t another way to phrase something other than the direct and less sensitive way I had in the past. I am still getting my message across effectively but without the drama. I used to actually enjoy a scene, but the older I get, the more I require peace of mind and contentment.

So why did I write to you and also to another writer who I do not know last night (criticizing how she wrote about her abortion)? Because even though I strive for tranquility, I can’t seem to lower my voice to a whisper; even I still need to shout once in awhile.