How it Feels to Be Me.
A brief acknowledgement. Challenging the majority opinion can be isolating. Independent thinking isn't free at all. It comes with a cost.
Thursday, October 26th, 2023
Dear Freedom Friends,
When I say, “Freedom Friends,” what do I mean?
Am I referring to the fact that most of the people reading “Our Thoughts Matter” are not incarcerated? No.
Am I assuming you all agree with me on “what it means to be free?” Absolutely not!
Is it in remembrance of a small group of families who called ourselves “Freedom Friends” as we met secretly on our island, during the dark days when our government turned on us, family cast us out, businesses refused us entry, our passports were worthless, we became unemployable, we were kicked out of rental units, we were denied unemployment benefits after being fired, old friends refused to walk with us, talk to us, or allow their children to play with our children, universities refused our older children education, and community members publicly reviled us with relish, abandon and self-righteous vindictiveness? Again, no.
My salutation is a reminder and an invitation.
I am reminding you that by reading Our Thoughts Matter, you are exercising the freedom of your mind. Exploring censored topics and considering viewpoints that challenge hard-pushed narratives is the act of thinking freely. By referring to you as my “Freedom Friends,” I am also inviting you to carry the torch forward. To feel “safe enough” to be the odd one out and “brave enough” to accept the consequences.
As a person who is in the minority, the majority of the time, I admit — it can be lonely. Mostly, I do not feel the loneliness. I’m a very happy person! But then, I come across someone who truly understands me, and I feel a surge of relief. It catches me off guard, bringing me to tears or those punchy sobs, where your chest struggles to pull in air, as if you’ve been drowning and only just broke through the surface.
It is this reaction, this extreme relief at discovering a kindred spirit — that tells me how alone I truly am, much of the time. How ironic, then, that in this loneliness I am not alone at all? Isolation is growing in leaps and bounds, with everyone suffering as a result. I recently posted this on Twitter:
Twitter seems to have turned into a huge, giant cacophany of most short (sometimes long) monologues + peanut gallery. It's sort of sad, because years ago it was more interactive. One more example of modern society losing its relational skills and splintering into powerlessness.
As I’ve emerged from the initial stages of grieving the loss of my mother, I returned to writing on my Substack. In order to share my thoughts with others, I began sharing my published articles on Twitter. As I did so, I found some Tweets compelling and wrote back carefully worded, meaningful and authentic comments. No one ever replied. As I became familiar with the Twitter of today, I began to understand. Most comments are shots in the dark, as if no response is expected. Whether one-liners, emojis, snarky attacks or statements of agreement, almost all seem to be dead ends. There is little to no conversation. No interaction. No relationship building. What’s happened to Twitter? I asked.
Then I thought, maybe the platform isn’t the problem? Maybe, it’s us.
We are human beings with biologically imperatives and authentic needs, which we deny at our own peril. There is almost nothing about scrolling through Twitter, reading words written in impersonal fonts on a screen, that connects us as living beings. It’s a great medium for exciting our base emotions, but as a method of achieving high level communication? Not so much.
In 2015, I interviewed Roger Fernandes of the Lower Elwha Band of the Klallam Indians. He is a renowned story teller and artist living in Seattle, WA. When I offered to conduct his interview over the phone, he declined, saying:
The true power of storytelling comes when the moisture of the teller’s breath gives life and power to the story.”
I agree completely.
Today, I will leave you with the article I stumbled upon this morning. The one that set my heart ablaze with gratitude and relief. Written by Chris Meyer, The Tenth Man Rule offers a thorough and excellent explanation for why those willing to be a minority voice have great value.
Chris describes himself in this way: “I'm a writer, analyst and teacher with over 15 years of experience and a background in the military, martial arts and failing at things. I enjoy exploring new ideas and making them more accessible.” I hope you’ll follow the link to his article and check him out on Substack.
Have a good day and enjoy the articles.
https://themindcollection.com/the-tenth-man-rule-devils-advocacy/
https://themindcollection.com/trolley-problem-meme-variations/