My Vulnerability Belongs To Me
Vulnerability.
I am going to put it out there.
Every word, every photograph, every post that I share here requires a level of vulnerability.
That and courage.
It requires vulnerability to share my thoughts, my ideas and images and to put my name to them.
It is possibly one of the toughest things that I have done and continue to do.
Once posted, the hope is that somebody, somewhere, will actually decide to read, look and engage with whatever I have created. And of course, if they do, I accept that it is possible that they may not agree with my opinion or like my photographs.
Because everything that I share belongs to me and is shaped by my experiences in life.
So my vulnerability, like everyone else’s, comes from being completely open and honest, firstly with myself and then, by default, with anyone reading my words and looking at my images.
But here is the thing.
Some will not just disagree or dislike what they see. Some will positively, actively and even aggressively want to attack and destroy what they don’t like.
So when someone recently read one of my posts and disagreed with what I had said, I knew that was ok. And when they decided to write a comment disagreeing with my opinions, that was also ok.
However, when they left a rather unpleasant and sarcastic comment, not just disagreeing with me but actively trying to shame my views, well, that felt very different.
And being honest, I found that quite difficult to accept at first
Because the opinions that I shared, the way that I see the world based upon my lived experience, were genuine. It felt like I didn’t deserve to have it shot down in flames and stamped on.
However, upon reflection, I reminded myself that all I can ever be is honest and it is simply impossible to please everyone. So if I find the courage to share something with the world and put my name to it, then I also have to accept whatever it may bring and just let it go.
If someone does make a decision to criticise and to shame, just because they disagree with me or dislike what I have shared, well, that is entirely up to them. I am unable to control that.
And how they chose to respond, whether with constructive criticism or simply aggression and anger, is their choice.
But this period of reflection has also reminded me of something else.
The way that someone chooses to respond and the words that they use tell you everything you could possibly want to know about them as an individual.
And that is important to remember.
