It’s cloudy again today, but not that cold, and I was thinking this morning about the ways in which we edit ourselves, fold back the odd edges and frame the “best” parts, as a rule.
Most places in this world require us to that to some extent, at least those of us who are not cisgender heterosexual Christian white males. “I don’t care what you do at home, just not in my face.”
Oddly, they can do whatever they want in anyone else’s face almost all the time with very few to any lasting consequences. Several names come immediately to mind but I’ll allow you to fill in with your own thoughts.
But suddenly now on Spoutible, a place exists where those tightly controlled personas don’t really click. Authenticity drives engagement there, in whatever way you’re authentically you.
People don’t seem to want measured sentences with substituted words if your tendency is for flowery. People don’t want you to dampen your enthusiasm for yarn arts or baking or games or music or images or raisins or meatloaf.
Well, maybe some people want you to dampen your enthusiasm for meatloaf. And raisins.
What people are looking for and finding on Spoutible are the unabridged versions of ourselves. It’s the odd edges and the strange parts that draw us to one another there.
For all the criticism of it being a “bubble,” I’ve never seen more diversity in people chatting and talking and educating.
And while I’m here, I’ve said this before, but there’s nothing less “cultlike” than a place where everyone can have their own opinions, religion or none, gender or none, partnerships or none, politics or none.
What is not negotiable is the humanity of everyone; basic human rights and dignity. And if that is a problem for a person, the problem is the person.
Arguing for the sake of arguing is not a thing there. “Devil’s advocates” often find themselves, rather uncomfortably, on the other side of the table. We don’t let things that people have let slide for ages slide because we don’t have to.
We don’t have to.
There will be no swarms to silence us. There will be no blame on “both sides.” And people who are used to not being questioned, who are accustomed to some kind of deference because in most contexts not deferring is much more trouble suddenly find what it’s like to have their privilege suspended.
We don’t play along because we like it or find them fascinating, we do it because of a calculus of cost. We abridge ourselves for that same calculus of cost.
And what a thing to have a place where that’s just not necessary.
That’s it for Tuesday, have a great day.
A Bit to Read 
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