Member-only story
Thank You For Following Me
It does my heart good when I’m notified that I have a new follower.
“Hi. My name is Diane Egan, and I write articles.” If there was a self-help group for people addicted to writing, you’ve just read my introduction.
I can’t say I’m new on Medium anymore. But, every time I click the “Publish” button, my heart still skips a beat because I’m sharing my thoughts and feelings with the internet. It’s a rush that’s better than any bottle of cheap Merlot wine in my pantry.
When you like my articles and follow me, I smile because maybe you read my story. I hope that I made you laugh or think about crap inside my brain. I want to reciprocate if I’m not already following you. So, I click on your name to read your stories and follow you, too.
It bothers me when your stats show you’re following hundreds of people, but you’ve never written anything and your bio is empty. I understand being shy or afraid to write an article. I just can’t follow you if I don’t know anything about you. Maybe I take following Medium members too seriously. Maybe you’re not reading my stories, but for some reason my name popped up on a page and you clicked “follow”.
Am I taking this follow members thing on Medium too seriously? Should I continue to share personal stories that I can’t talk about with my family or friends? Hell, yeah. Writing is therapy, but it’s not a personality contest.
So, you’re stuck with me whether you follow me or not.
