Talk about click-bait, your title appeared in my email and sent a shock wave through my torso. I thought you were blocking me (ouch).
I was blocked here on Medium once too. It hurt and for a while I supposed that was the point. In hindsight, I began to understand that the author who blocked me was creating a private space – not a public one. About a year later, another author very nicely informed me that his space was open to some, not all. I kept reading his work (cause I really liked it), but began to feel like an intruder, stalker or spy, even a peeping tom. I do not like to feel creepy, so I stopped reading his work completely.
Hindsight tells me, that my mistake was taking it personally. Both authors I mentioned had clear goals and objectives for their work – and were addressing a specific audience. I don’t know how anyone can reach a specific audience of strangers, any way other than, open sites like Medium – do you? I am now trying to learn how to curate my reading better.
Personally, I am a strong believer in communication contagion. With or without our permission, ideas spread into us, around us and through us. Instead of writing, I prefer to help spread ideas and information through comment sections. I rarely use Medium’s little email button, but when I do, it means an author has reached a certain level of authority with me, and I am comfortable referencing, citing. quoting and recommending their work to other people. I also use these author’s work to inform and educate myself and direct me to resources I would not find on my own.
I am delighted to have access to the thoughts, ideas, concerns and experiences of every day people (as opposed to those appointed and paid to influence us).
I took a look at your blocker’s work, and it seems she is also creating a private space on Medium – not a public one. While her sentence structure – running several lines, even paragraphs long – is atrocious, (even incomprehensible) I think she is trying to amplify right wing ideology to help build a right-wing audience here on Medium. If I am correct, that could be the reason she blocked you. You have 11,000 followers and she has one. By following you, she can use your work as a springboard for herself. By blocking you, she can keep your followers off her page. IOW, she is using you (roar).
By the way, while reading of your experience at Frisk, I experienced the inappropriate emotion of jealousy. I hate that emotion, for it is the only emotion I ever expressed that earned me a spanking from my grandmother. Nonetheless, telling you what I felt, is the only way I know how to express how much I valued your sharing your experience publicly. You do the hard work here and I hope you keep having good days for a long time to come.
