This has been a week for trolls. Holy Cow.

This morning just before I headed for the gym I opened a comment from someone who had chose to lightly scrape over a difficult, heartfelt and heavily- read article that has garnered more eyeballs than anything I have written on Medium so far. This is the article:

First, this was a painful article to write. So far this piece has garnered 108 comments, all of which I have read and responded to. In most cases, this piece touched a deep chord with so many of us who have had to cut off friendships or family because of the deep rift…

I’ve kinda had it, folks.

Yesterday, with all the best intentions, I penned a note about bad actors hijacking accounts on Medium and posing as them, then selling us products. I put that out right away with every single intention to be of service.

I do NOT always do things well or right, and I am NOT a techie expert nor a Medium expert. That article immediately garnered some feedback. One regular reader was confused, and I took it to heart because the comment was kind. I rewrote the piece several times as I am wont to do when good readers point out where I…

And showing her kids how to do life theirs

This week I got a lovely comment from a reader who reminded me of why I do what I do. The best part of this is that this particular reader/mom/motorcycle mama is also the perfect example of what it looks like to pull yourself up by the motorcycle bootstraps and get ‘er did even though it’s uncomfortable,which is the whole point. We all carry fears and doubts, me too, and I am forever buoyed by stories of folks who simply say “Yep, I’m not comfy. I’m doing it anyway.”

Medium and Illumination writer Kate Bergeron penned me a note during…

People are posing as our favorite writers and pushing product.

If you are a fan of Jessica Wildfire, and I most certainly am, you might be delighted to get a comment from her on one of your stories or in response to a comment. That’s what I thought I was getting early this morning. Instead, I got this:

Thank you for reading & taking time to comment , for help on how to grow your financial growth! I advise you trade with Expert Bryan Morgan, regarding earning Huge income in Crypto as it’s currently the most profitable today and with the high rate of BTC you’ll achieve alot. …

Musing on people’s behavior and what it keeps teaching me about the crap people are carrying.

The man was dragging a bench back to the marked spots on the floor in front of the mirrors at Planet Fitness. I was between sets so I lightly tapped him on the shoulder and kidded, smiling,

“You know there’s a ten-dollar fee for moving the benches.”

He nearly snarled at me. Good thing he didn’t have dumbbells in his hands.

DUDE. Get. A. Grip. It’s a goddamned JOKE.

About one in every ten people that I kid with at the gym does this. Others crack up, we do a high five. After that we nod at each other, wave…

I’d like you to see a message of hope and laughter.

It’s just after six-thirty on Monday, August 2nd, and I am minutes from heading to the gym for the morning torture.

Okay okay, I LIKE working out but my knees are barking at me because I barked them very hard on an aerial silks mat three weeks ago. I’ll get back to that in a sec.

This morning I saw this purposefully click-baity title (purposeful, as in funny) by Kathy Copeland Padden and had to read it. I am so glad I did:

I saw this seconds after blocking someone who dumped stinking diarrhea all over an article I had…

I love it when a commenter does all the work.

Cara Lee wrote me a lovely bit on a recent thread and it was so good, well here, with her permission. It speaks for itself:

Great article! Still — so many people, especially women, totally believe they can’t get into shape after the age of 50. Nonsense, as you point out, as well as my own experience along the way. The idea of resistance training appeared on my radar while I was still in my mid-20s at a time when virtually no woman was even doing this, of any age let alone older. Then I got into it much more…

Just because you have the certification doesn’t make you a good instructor.

This morning before I head downstairs to start packing for my next Big Trip, I scanned an article by Medium peep Beth Winegarner. She writes about her experience as a big person in a Pilates class, and the challenges she experienced at the hands of her instructor. Her point, which I am condensing here for the sake of brevity (not my strong suit), is that fitness instructors, in this case Pilates, need to be prepared to deal with all bodies. ALL bodies, not just bodies like their own, which may well be more slim than some in their classes.

Her…