Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash

One of the treats I get each morning is opening my email and finding the prompts to stories that excite my emotions. It’s an emotional wake-up call, a reveille of sorts. Granted, my aging body could use some authentic calisthenics, like the ones I participated in at 4:00 AM in the Army, but these jumping jacks are much richer for my health in oh, so many ways…AND I enjoy them a whole lot more.

So yesterday I woke up to a story by Jamie Varon. https://medium.com/@jamievaron/hey-internet-stop-trying-to-inspire-me-b5022f3c0f7

Subsequently, I wrote the response below:

I came to Medium this morning to learn a bit more about how to inspire people. Your article here was one of the first to appear. I admit that my first reading was difficult for me to take because all my life I have wanted the hardships that I allowed to be used in a way that would help others deal with theirs.

I have learned enough through my experiences to dig deeper when something doesn’t sit well with me. So I read your piece again and then read many of your readers comments. Here’s what I learned:

life doesn’t affect everyone in the same way. I accept that.

My attempts to express my views are not always understood.

I have no inherent right to “tell” you how you should react, respond, live.

My experience is only my experience…