To anyone listening...

I appreciate that Steemit allows me to write and produce content, and find readers- all without advertising.

I despise advertising and marketing. I’m not here for the money, I’m here for the spirit and soul.

Often I’ll think of the Kurt Vonnegut quote: “The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake.”

So here it is, people: I’m putting my foot down. For the tribe. For my friends, and for those who hear anything that resonates within: I’m here for love, for honesty, for respect... I'm here for a common humanity.

My goodness: I’ve become cynical. I was rather idealistic until I became an adult; then, I forced myself to become hardened. The nightly news, the cruelty, the hatred… I had to understand it, I had to encompass it. If I failed to comprehend it, then I was living a lie, a life with blind spots. Idealism had to die. But truth could be reborn.

Back to the Vonnegut quote: is this art? Is journaling, or a diary for public view, art? Does it qualify? Will I be a better writer, live a better life, grow a better soul- from these ramblings?

I write in the quiet of the night, after drinking. I hope to reach one reader, one human being who hears my voice. I'm hoping for resonance.

I’m here for love, for respect, for valuing another. For defending those who don’t have a voice: the animals, the children, the subjugated and colonised. I won’t speak for you. I hope to listen, for any sound or emotion you might communicate, by any means. So please, speak, by any means.

Folding into myself, I feel like a liar. Unfolding myself and standing as I do, now, I feel inspired.

I hope you are all inspired. I hope you feel valued. I hope you, too, may find a voice here on Steemit. I hope to find you. Best wishes to you all-