My August Medium Review
Your favorites, my favorites, recommendations, and hot topics!
Hot Topic: TOA
Well, the hot topic on Medium this month was obviously the new Terms of Agreement.
No one needs another exhortation on those so I’ll just say, my thoughts went from…
“This looks sketchy.”
“But what other options do I have?”
“I guess nothing really with this kind of platform.”
“I guess, I’ll carry on and wait this out. I do love the platform and those I’ve met on here and I don’t want to really throw that away and find another option.”
To then Medium amending their Terms of Agreement. And me being more comfortable even though, I’m probably not going to change my rhythms regardless.
But all that being said, I appreciate all of those who were fighting back, speaking up, and making sure the TOA were something in line with the heart of the Medium community.
My most read article of August
As a Closet Liberty University Alumnus, My 5 Recommendations
This article hit way too close to home. Which is why I had to come out of the Liberty closet to share it. As the news began to spread of Jerry Falwell Jr.’s, moral failings and cover-ups, as alumni, none of us were surprised. We were more relieved things were coming to light and we were and are hoping for change at the University and healing for those affected by the incompetent leadership over the last decade.
I assumed when I posted this article, it would be more so for my social media (fellow alumni and those curious about Liberty)than for Medium and it quickly spread across Facebook being shared and commented on hundreds of times. And since then, more and more alumni have continued to share their own stories of Liberty University.
I don’t think anyone wants to see their University drug through the mud. But sometimes you’ve got to see the dirt before you can clean it up.
My most read poem of August was The Moon was Blue
Last night, I looked out the window at my new home and there it was, a full moon tucked between the branches staring right back at me.
I put my phone down, walked outside to the patio and stared at it, while pondering life.
I wondered if I would write another poem about the moon but I didn’t, I just contemplated. I write a lot of poetry about nature, about the sun, about the moon, because I find it all so metaphorically beautiful.
This poem had been tucked away in a folder of mine and I located it to share.
I walked outside and the moon was blue (the moon was blue, aka sad) A tear shot the sky as it waited for noon (the moon cried waiting for a friend to come) It hung silently alone with nothing to do (the moon was alone waiting for a friend to come) Hoping today would be a different tune (the moon was hoping today would be different)
It saw a friend coming, a brightish hue (the moon saw a friend on its way, the sun) But as the sun rose, the moon left too (But as the sun rose, the moon’s time in the sky was over and would have to wait again until tomorrow)
My personal favorite story and why I wrote it:
NBA and Social Justice
As an employee in the NBA but also someone who grew up in Indiana, lived in Texas and Virginia, and now reside in Portland,Oregon, I was curious the array op opinions and thoughts in regards to the NBA player’s boycott.
I anticipated an array of thoughts but I did not anticipate the array of racism. There were a wide-ranging group of thoughts but there were also comments I had to delete due to overt racism. There was pushback from both sides and people getting confrontational with one another, oh, Facebook! And then people started DM’ing we as well.
At that point, I figured I should share my response on the thread. And then I was asked if I could put that response into a Medium article so that others could share it.
I could have probably written a book or essay on the topic, especially, as more and more stories come to light, but for now, I have an article that sums up my perspective.
And then for good measure, if someone can’t get to the players, they’re coming for you.
And when in doubt, just correct their grammar.
My personal favorite poem and why I wrote it:
In this darkness, where is the light They said it’d be here, all I see is night The sunrise will come that’s what they say But morning has come, another cloudy day
Will it be like this forever, say it’s not true For there’s only so many days a heart can be blue So when I close my eyes and dream for a new Will I see the devil or will I get my due
I found this poem in a folder of mine. I had the first 7 lines but the 8th, I had changed multiple times. I just couldn’t seem to get the fit I wanted. In my mind, I knew what I meant, on paper, I couldn’t get it out or find the rhyme. And then it came to me… Will I see the devil or will I get my due (as in closing our eyes, hoping for a brighter tomorrow but yet waking and wondering if it will be the devil again or if our prayers, our hopes, our dreams have been answered and we have indeed, got our due)
My Favorite Article of Another Writer this Month
Facebook, as we all know has been a hotbed of controversy, well, forever. For some reason, everyone’s thoughts and opinions, whether I agree or disagree, I find it all incredibly intriguing.
Recently, in Portland, OR, while the mask debate was in full fire, a worship leader from California made his way up to our state for a worship concert. People of faith in the community were vehemently split and the vitriol played out on Facebook, obviously.
One article people kept sharing and I kept referencing was from Jelani Greenidge.
He summed up my thoughts and feelings better than I could even have. I used it as a reference while I discussed with others my thoughts. I think that is one of the beautiful things about Medium. Finding authors, writers, and thinkers sharing words you were unable to get on a page yourself.
My Favorite Poem of Another Writer this Month
Tony Young, Jr. brought it with Walk That Walk
Tony’s full of great writing, thoughts, and energy but this poem was another level.
Tip of the month: Claps
When I started on Medium, I wasn’t overly familiar with how Medium worked and I thought I had 50 claps a day to use. So I would give everyone 1 clap until I ran out. I was a little too aggressive, finding things everywhere to clap for. On stories, comments, comments of comments. A clap here, a clap there, a clap everywhere… but just 1.
Then I realized you could clap up to 50 times for someone’s story and it didn’t use your claps for the day. And that made much more sense. So I was able to clap and fully appreciate stories on Medium.
I used my claps everyday for months. It probably burned me out a bit to where I needed to take a break here and there. I was so focused on ‘building a brand’ per se on here that I went a little overboard.
Clapping and appreciating other’s stories and writing is a great way to meet new people on Medium. Many writers reciprocate your kindness and more and more connections evolve.
And after all, I think that’s what most of us are after. Making connections and leaving the world a better place with our stories and words.
Cheers!
John