“Be humble, for you are made of dung.
Be noble, for you are made of stars.”
~ Serbian Proverb
So begins the updated introduction I penned for the Medium audience a few
moons ago–More precisely, in October 2022.
Today, February 2023, I wish to post it on selmamartin with as few tweaks as
possible to give you a taste of what I let the readers of Medium know about me.
And for those of you who still don’t know me, I hope this provides more answers.
Aside:
The details have shifted and beg for a short update; still, I hope you read through
the essay to get a feel of how the dots join to bring me to where I am today.
*** ***
It is now 2024, but I want this post to remain as is for my new readers.
In April 2020, I wrote my first About Me post on the Medium platform and shared
parts of myself as my parts uncurled in current world events, namely the pandemic
that I never foresaw dragging on for so long.
Back then, as today, I considered myself lacking a funny bone, so I created a post
formatted as an interview that I thought was fancy.
That post got buried under poetry penned before I felt the bottom of my bucket
break which is when I left Medium to find my bearings. It was then that I transitioned
body and soul into WordPress and found myself. Thanks so much, WP Readers.
But that post exists only on Medium and I provide the FREE link (Medium is a paid
platform), in case you’d like to read it.
Have We Met?
A virtual introduction to Selmamedium.com
I’m still the same person who values life and friendship above all else, and loves
the diversity that Medium affords; the same person IN JOY and IN AWE with ordinary
living, who still believes in miracles. Me!
And I’d be just a dusty old porcelain figurine if I hadn’t grown into the sum of who
I am today, so let me update you on how I’ve evolved.
Until then, I was so gungho about working on the novel I started in 2017 – editing
and polishing it, making it better for publication. Today I have taken a long hiatus
from that novel and have grown into poetry.
This doesn’t mean I’ve given up; I cannot, I bled those words, but for the time being,
I want to continue galumphing in poetry and perhaps make it so that in this, the sixth
decade of my life, I too can contribute a verse in a book of poetry that I hope to
publish on *Amazon*.
Aww, to have my verses tucked between the covers of a book–dreamy!
Please, won’t you stick around?
“Kind people, don’t think me
purse-proud,
don’t set me down as
vainglorious,
I’m just a little euphorious.”
~ No Doctors Today, Thank You
Poem by Ogden Nash
So you see, now my rudder’s pointing toward a different route to get to the same
place. That is one thing that has shifted.
In 2020, the bulk of my work was on Medium. But then I got overwhelmed with the
platform’s speed and started going slower on my website and slower still with my
once-a-month newsletter, where I sell nothing; I give my friendship away to connect
on a deeper level with my audience whom I call pen pals.
And through this much-needed respite, I landed on all fours on poetry.
I’ve come to love reading all sorts of poetry, mainly Victorian, which has awakened
something within me that I never knew laid dormant inside the chariot that houses
my soul. Imagine my surprise!
I love traditional haiku and syllabic poetry forms (the easy ones) and have been
practicing earnestly in the lovely WordPress Reader community. And in April 2021
participated in my first-ever National Poetry Writing Month (I repeated it in 2022).
That was the most exciting event in the last two years of my becoming.
I am now a half-poet
attempting to paint you
a rose garden
with real toads —
in burrows in the day
and at night, croaking
Right now, I hear a voice in my head that tells me I came into poetry too late and
in a way that could be true. I’ve missed opportunities to write poems about the bad
things that have happened to me in my life–if I were younger, I probably would,
but today I cannot. Those bad things were written long ago in the *sand, and the
tide has done away with all the bad.
To write something that shows my brokenness
feels dishonest to me,
as I, Selma, am not broken,
and nothing unpleasant from my past exists in my present.
It could help someone going through the same, I hear another voice saying.
Sorry, guys, I have no living bad incidents and examples to enlighten anyone about
my past. Furthermore, I wish to transmit presence, and my presence resides in the
now, not the past.
But I do have a past. And as you read, you will discover lessons in words that are real –
as real as the air that I breathe, that you breathe–and whole like I am today; I hope
this is not a downputter for you– and as relevant as how I see our world through my
lenses.
I love detours. Here’s one
Aside: In all my time on Medium, I can count on one hand the number of times any
of my articles got curated. Let me share the first one. And as you read, please let me
know if you think returning to the way life was is a good idea. Have we evolved?
Can’t Wait for Life to Return to The Way it Was?
What if I told you that the life we knew does not suit us anymore?medium.com
I hope you enjoyed that detour. Now we move on with what else has shifted in the last
two years.
Now I’m on Instagram in addition to Twitter –both places where I flounder but where
I’m told I need to be seen. I don’t dislike it, but I-do-not-like-it! Confusing? Well, so
be it: I contain multitudes.
I’d much rather more people saw me on Medium *sigh*, where I’ve started sharing my
2022 words that flow from my happy place.
I’ve always been a happy person, a camera-shy person, an intuitive person, and a no-bling person. I am still all that, as some things cannot morph. I am okay with that.
I be country-mouse!
You be city-mouse?
…or country-mouse like me?
Following suggestions to take one of those tests that reveal one’s personality,
temperament, and character, I discovered that I’m INFJ and an old soul: an empath.
Knowing this about myself has me nodding in acceptance (agreement?) as I think I fit
the mold. Fit it but still free to roam.
Lastly, I have been married to my best friend for 32(+) years, and we raised two babies
who turned into gentle young men right before our eyes. We blinked once, and there
they were.
And while some might find this last part cloying,
I’ll say it anyway: I believe marriage is a holy thing;
it’s the luminosity that feeds my spirit.
Haiku by Matsuo Basho (1644–1694)
“seek not to follow
in the footsteps of wise men —
seek that which they sought”
*sand — where you will find my footprints that will help to raise you above your
tempests or the vexations of your soul. This is how we are connected. Just pay
attention to the melody.
I’m so happy we’ve met.
Thanks for reading, dear WordPress friends. That’s what I said to Medium and for
which I received a ton of lovely responses from that fast-paced platform that I’ve
decided to forego one more time for WordPress. I will keep my subscription and
be a reader–there are writers whose words touch me deeply and I don’t want to
miss them.
If you wish to know what the Medium audience is like through their responses,
please click on any of the free friend links I provide and read the responses by
clicking the speech bubble. Everyone is so warm and cordial.
IF you’d like to give Medium a try and read more of my work there, I encourage you to join Medium for only US $5 a month—anyone can publish and earn. IF this appeals to you, kindly consider using my referral link, which provides me a commission. My referral link: https://selmawrites.medium.com/membership NO PRESSURE...
I’m glad to share this with you and hope it opens us up for more blessings.
Thanks for reading my essay, and as always, I wish you miracles.
The update I promised–which, if you’ve been here with me through 2023, you already
know, but will repeat for my new readers:
* I’m more active on Instagram than I am on Twitter
* I’ve been on Facebook for much too long but until very recently, now that
I have my Instagram posts to publish on that platform, I’m finally receiving a
little engagement. Thanks so much. Still, I don’t understand Facebook.
((don’t be alarmed if I vanish from FB altogether))
* Amazon! With the invaluable help of my Editor/Publisher: Ingrid/Experiments
In Fiction, I was able to contribute a verse to the world–just as I dreamt, on
almost the tail end of my 60th trip around the sun. Thanks so much.
+
Thank you to all who have bought and kindly reviewed
In The Shadow of Rainbows
on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble.
You ARE my dream. And you came
through for me when I needed you most.
Amazing is what you are!
Thank you *bowing*
- Day 27: NaPoWriMo 2024–Opt Out of An American Sonnet - April 27, 2024
- Day 26: NaPoWriMo 2024 Alliteration, Consonance, Assonance - April 26, 2024
- Reblog: “Snap-beans in a Wooden Bowl”(c) 2024 by Michael L. Utley - April 26, 2024
I understand your love of poetry, although it is not my first go to when I am writing. Occasionally, I think of a poem because it can so much, in not many words. My children, grown now. My daughter is in her thirty’s. My son nearly thirty. Both with kindness in their hearts.
Diana, thanks so much for reading and commenting.
If our children are kind people that’s because we were good ambassadors. Pay yourself on the back, dear friend. Job well done.
Thanks for the visit. Bless you
I’m enjoying getting to know you … through your beautiful words! <3
You’re the sweetest, Dap. Glad you enjoy this and know that I am lucky for having you and your beautiful heart in my life. Bless you. And thanks
Thank you for sharing a piece of yourself with us this morning.
Molly I am so happy to know you enjoyed this. Your words empower me. And thanks for retweeting. I bless you. XoXo
Thank you for sharing this, Selma! I always enjoy your work and welcome the chance to get to know you better. <3
Cheryl, music to my ears and I too love what you share. Thanks for being in my life. I bless you. Xoxo
Good to meet you Selma.
Aww ☺️ so nice to make your acquaintance too, dear Sadje. You’re tops. I bless you.
Thanks my friend
It was such a pleasure to read this and learn a little more about you. So, glad you are on a poetry journey, as it is our gain in the WordPress community.
You say sweet things to me, m’lady. And I melt. I am so happy to meet you and spend time in this lovely community. May no AI intruders enter our midst.
Stay sweet. I wish you miracles XoXo
❤️
It’s a gift to read you and your heart put to words like a song and novel if you will. There is a piece of you tucked behind everything your write which is always felt Selma! Great to learn more about you! ❣️
It’s a gift to read you too. You’re the best. Happy weekend and May the blessings come on repeat. XoXo
I’m happy to have met you, Selma! 🥰
Ruth, my sweet. So am I 🎶 every moment of the day. Stay sweet. Blessings.
❤️
I enjoyed reading this Selma. 😊😊😊 i feels so good to read mor about you.
You read this long one. I’m happy you did my sweeet.
I’m on hiatus atm, and hope you’re well. Blessings. Xo
I appreciate reading your journey in social media and all the different facets that you have explored! Love reading you and your unique voice! 💝
I am blessed with you in my life. Thanks, sweet, noble Tricia. Xoxoxoxo
♥️🥰♥️
Happy to meet you here, Selma. Glad that you ventured into poetry writing. 🙂
And so am I. I think I finally found d my tribe. So happy it includes you. Bless you
Gorgeous writing and reflection, Selma. 💖
Love this: “Those bad things were written long ago in the *sand, and the tide has done
away with all the bad”
You are precious, Michele Lee, my precious one. Thanks for reading and commenting. Blessings XoXo
Ahhh, I will take that. Thank you, sweet Selma. 💗
Hooray for INFJ’s! I’m one too <3
~David
INFJ. I RECOGNIZE you. Blessings, David.
So lovely to read more about you Selma 🌹❤️
Thanks for reading that long essay, dear Maggie (Maggie, right?) bless you.
I did enjoy reading Selma 🤗
Yes, Maggie (Margaret is my Sunday name ) 😉
What a delightful post, Selma. I am privileged to know more about you. I love your attitude towards life and your writing, especially your beautiful poetry. I also read your introduction of yourself on your Medium page. I have taken away from your words that it’s good to live in the present and not in the past, particularly if it was a traumatic past. I’m beginning to realise that for myself, too. I spent a lot of time last year writing my heart out about everything I’ve been through, but I’ve moved on from that now and prefer to keep my posts to express my current life and share more positive topics. I thank you for your words here, which are very encouraging to me. You are a beautiful soul, my friend and I wish you love and all the best in your continuing writing, especially the poetry you love so dearly. {{Hugs}} Xx 🤗🌷🥰
Ellie. Delightful Ellie. I bless you. Again I say: you are loved. Xoxo
Writing is a journey…and yours is a fine one–poetry is not just about bad things that happened to us! It’s never too late to begin anything. As you have shown. (K)
So happy to hear you say that, K. I think I’ll keep galumphing in poetry as it does my heart good. And the company is great. Blessing you.
Lovely to know you better Selma! ❤️
Aww. Warms my heart. Bless you. Xoxo
Thank you for sharing this deeper look into who you are. To everything there is a season, and you will return to your novel when the time is right. I love that you are following your heart into poetry. As we get older, we have to focus on our priorities whatever they may be. Best wishes to you, always!
Focusing on what I love.
Thanks so much for reading this one. I bless you, dear friend. Stay well and enjoy your weekend.
<3
Selma, you’ve absolutely blown me away with your commentary on “Being Selma!” I love this: “Those bad things were written long ago in the *sand, and the tide has done away with all the bad.” I connect with statement so much. I find writing about nature and spiritual (pagan) things is so much more fulfilling than writing about the past. Bravo to you, my friend. I love your journey! 💖
You’re the bestest. Thanks for being so lovely. So happy you found this post to your liking. (got blown away… hehe, that’s funny) I appreciate you. I always know when I’ve found a sister– I knew it right away with you. Thanks so dearly. We are not our past; we are what we are right here right now. And yes, we are all lovely. Bravo to you too. Thanks for saying this about my journey. Thanks for being part of it too. I bless you and wish you miracles. xoxo
Selma, you are such a darling. Thank you so much. ❤️
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thanks so much for sharing more about yourself and connecting the dots for us. I say it’s never too late for poetry, and maybe you weren’t ready for poetry before. give yourself grace and enjoy your time as needed. best.
Very interesting written words in post. Beautiful yourself experience & knowledge. Your words are inspiring. It was such a pleasure to read this and learn a little more about you. So, glad you are on a poetry journey,
“I am now a half-poet
attempting to paint you
a rose garden
with real toads —
in burrows in the day
and at night, croaking”! Really nice written you.
To write something that shows my brokenness
feels dishonest to me,
as I, Selma, am not broken,
and nothing unpleasant from my past exists in my present.
Selma, this is such a lovely article. I identify with your journey. I tried Medium for a short, short time. I’ve been on social media since I started blogging in 2012, and what a journey it’s been. I am in my poetry phase of life, and participating in Colleen’s 24 season challenge puts me into a new place poetically and I love the freedom and the challenge of syllabic poetry. Rearranging words, finding new words to say what I mean, keeps me growing strong. Congratulations on 32 years of a lovely marriage and two children. Your life is anything but ordinary because all the things you do and have tried take a lot of effort and skill. I’m grateful we have become friends. Happy Thanksgiving. 🙂
Oh my—I’m soooooo happy you read that long essay. You bless me.
Thanks so much.
We celebrated 33 years 💒 this past May.
Medium—gosh, Medium is a fast paced platform. Great writers!! But too fast for me. I’m still subscribed and still making pennies. I read there often.
I love Colleen’s place and it has made me walk taller 🙃: I have grown methinks.
Well, I like what I like.
Me too—so happy we’ve become friends. Here’s a hug 🤗 Happy Thanksgiving Marsha. I bless you.
Thanks, Selma. I am trying to take the time to read everyone’s blog when they comment on mine. I am sure you do the same, and it takes time, but is so worth it. We have so much in common, and it blessed me to read your essay. 🙂 hugs xxx
Dear Selma, thanks for sharing more about YOU. I love this: “I believe marriage is a holy thing;
it’s the luminosity that feeds my spirit.” Indeed, that’s how it was meant to be!
Lynn. That you? I think so. Thanks for this. It is. It’s how it’s meant to be. A holy thing. Bless you
Hello Thelma firstly thank you so much for the reel you put on Instagram and secondly thank you for following CarolCooks2…I love your beach image it looks glorious where is it? it looks familiar but it may not be as there are so many lovely beaches in the world…You are absolutely correct we should live in the now not the past… of course our past shapes us in some ways and hopefully we take the good parts forward…:)
Hello, Carol Ann. You were quick to support me when I published my book in July. You even wrote a lovely review. And for that I want to do the same. So, the moment I saw you had a book out I purchased from Amazon. Thank you.
I’ve scheduled the last post I’ll be posting this year. It goes live in two hours time. That post is for the last book review I’m posting this year. Had I known earlier about your book I’d have read and getting ready to review. I didn’t know. Anyway, in my last post this year I mention you and your new book. Congratulations 👏🏽 That’s all I’m capable of at the moment but I promise to review it early next year.
I see you have a new website. I was following the old and as of today I’m now following the new one too. Your new one is incredibly lovely. Wow. I’m so impressed.
Anyway, my dear. We will talk again. I bless you and wish you a jolly merry Christmas.
Thanks for reading this post tonight. Blessings
Oh, that beach is in Japan. This is where I reside. And Japan resides in me too. 💗 xo, Selma.
It’s lovely my wish is to visit, Japan.. I appreciate you purchasingmy cookbook.. Thank you… I’m pleased you like my new look website… I love it! I hope you have a fabulous Christmas and a happy and healthy 2024.
Did you create it yourself? It’s really a beautiful Website. It’s got great character. Blessings.
Thank you Selma …I just told Colleen I wanted it to reflect my passion for the environment and my cooking and she worked her magic I am really pleased she did a great job 🙂
Colleen can do that? Oh my! Where have I been?!
Are you self-hosted (.org) / or .com (free WP) : No need to reply if this is uncomfortable. I ask because I need to do something with mine 😵💫 I am self-hosted (Bluehost) right now. 😵
No I am not self hosted, Selma I am on WP Premium plan plus I use Canva pro that’s how I can do falling snow on my images 🙂
What a delight to get to know you better, Selma, and learn a little bit more about what makes you who you are! May the words flow into the New Year. ❣️
I’m thrilled you enjoyed reading and finding out more about me this way, Layla. Thanks for the lovely comment. Xoxo
This was enjoyable to read, Selma. I am also an INFJ. It did explain a lot to me, too. I am also a Highly Sensitive Person–have you ever read about that (book by Elaine Aron)? That also explained a lot to me.
You’re sweetest. HSP/INFJ sister. I don’t know that book 😢 but I’m comfortable for now. Thanks for sharing. Bless you
Selma, thank you for sharing your journey, of social media, blogging and your writing! I’ve never heard of Medium before and enjoyed a little explore there now – and loved your curated article! Throughout I was nodding my head in agreement! I’m glad to have across you here on WP, and your poetry is infused with wisdom and love of life. As with all things, writing is not a straight road and it seems you have found your calling with poems. Look forward to reading much more of your works and posts! (BTW I am not on FB nor Instagram, and barely use Twitter – I feel I should but know I could not commit the necessary time!)
Annika. So lovely of you to read that post and glad you found it to your liking.
Medium is a great writing platform. It’s very friendly and inclusive. But it’s always changing (for the better) and it really moves much too fast. Tons of great writers there.
It’s a paid platform. Subscribers pay the writers through some mysterious algorithm only Medium knows.
Non subscribers can read but only three posts in one month unless the author provides them with a ‘friend-link’
Anyone can join.
I’m still subscribed but benefit from reading only.
Social Media—a crazy invention if you ask me. But no one is asking me. I’m most active on Instagram now. —active, I say, but it’s mostly passive work.
I’ll teach you the little I know if you want to waste your time there.
X —i no longer know what’s happening there but it’s not the same place I joined in 2017.
FB—I’m perpetually in the dark there. 🤷🏽♀️
Just don’t understand
All in all you’re not missing anything from not being on those crazy platforms
But you’ll only realize this after spending time there.
Honestly though, it did help me with book promotion last year. I feel I got “seen” —I let myself be “found”. So that’s a plus.
Bless you always.
What a gorgeous human behind the words! It is never too late to write poems and follow dreams.
I need to go to Medium. I keep hearing about it, but never read anything there.
Blessings!
Gorgeous, you are for reading that long intro. Made my day.
Medium is an energetic platform. It’s full of all sorts of loveliness. I’m still a paying member and read often but not as much as when I was publishing too. So much amazing work—and the people! Wow. It’s because of the people that I cannot give Medium my back. I love it still.
Let me know if you’re serious about joining. Authors get paid. Yup, they get small change (me) and big bucks too … [for writing, commenting, sharing, and clapping {1-50 claps} 👏🏽]
Thanks for the visit today. 🤗
Selma, a beautiful introduction of yourself and your beautiful, kind, warm and wise nature shines through. I enjoyed learning about your writing journey, how you came to poetry (or maybe it to you) and it is never too late. Surely t is not always necessary to revisit the dark of past, continue to put a spot light on the good in the world. I can relate to having a novel in hiatus but it is definitely not forgotten or packed away! Your medium post that was curated is an exceptional article – I think I have missed out by not being part of this platform in its early days but now happy with WP and Twitter/X! Lovely to have met you here and look forward to reading your posts & poetry! Hugs xx