What's on the other side of courage

Becoming who we were meant to be as neighbors.

Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash

Getting threats again is not for the faint of heart. I had forgotten how those felt. Many of you know I received loads of them during the pandemic (including some scary ones at my house and against my kids). But the past two years have been quiet on that end, mercifully. This past week, it started back again. I hesitate to talk about it because I don’t want sympathy or come across like I’m the only one. I know I’m not the only one getting these. ALL of my female science friends who have been vocal about, well, science received some sort of threat. Most of my male science friends did too. So, I’m not alone in this at all.

The one this week felt different - somewhat because it was the first in a while. But, mainly because of how graphic some of it was, how bold it was. Ugh, yuk, boo, and *insert all other words* all around! It is not lost on me that the boldness of the rhetoric is likely because the person feels emboldened by the rhetoric coming from leaders. It’s maddening to me and scary. And, yet. I’ve been surprised that I’ve reacted differently this time. Maybe it help encourage you to keep going.

*These paid posts are always more personal than my regular science ones, like the Neighbor Tuesday posts. If you’re wondering why, here’s an explanation. Not all of you will want the personal musings and I totally understand that. The science is always free! I also include in the explanation why I give a preview of these posts to everyone. Not as a bait-and-switch! Believe me, that’s about as opposite of me as you can get. It’s simply to let you all know what content is in the paid posts in case it’s something you’re interested in.)