“I know this is me making this about me. I’m sorry about that. I’ve always made sure to apologize when I demand attention. But it feels important to speak up. You’re speaking with a voice that sounds so much like mine that I can’t even bring myself to feel enough shame to stop myself from posting this under my real name.”

Some people will disagree with me on this, but I’ve always felt that the way to build a connection with someone is to share the parts of you that are relevant. That’s not (in my mind) making things about you, it’s showing that person what they mean. (Okay fine, what they mean TO YOU. But it’s still really about your audience and their impact.)

See, even my response to you right now is that same way… talking about MY approach to building connections. But I’m really using myself as an example to talk about how you’re not bad for saying what you say. (Or, if you are, then so am I, so… so there’s solidarity in that, at least.)