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It’s funny. I just wrote the title of this post while sitting in the living room with the family and I had to get up and leave to retreat to the silence of my room, as I write about No Mas Silence.
I need the quiet retreat because I need to really think about how I want to frame my words explaining why I am getting louder.
To put it simply, I have finally found my voice.
After years (14 now to be exact) of trying to find my voice online and letting plenty of other people do it for me, I finally said No Mas late last year.
No Mas to caring if I lose campaigns because companies don’t like my language, or my politics, or heaven forbid, ME. No mas to caring if people unfriend me on facebook because I support the 2nd Amendment. No mas to caring how many online friends or followers or likers I have.
Maybe 40 finally caught up with me. Or maybe my beliefs became more important than my “popularity”. Or maybe I just realized that after 14 years at this, my internet life really is a “jobby” (a hobby meets job). And a jobby is not worth the loss of my true voice.
Whatever it was that pushed me over the edge, I am grateful. In the last few months you may have noticed I type more like I talk (which is really like a salty sailor or dirty truck driver), I am more inclined to show my Libertarian (note that is SO not the same thing as I Liberal if you were unsure) side, or just plain reveal my snarky-ness more. I am getting more involved in politics and losing lots of “friends” over it. And I am totally, 100% OK with that. If you don’t like me because I like guns or I am one of those nutter preppers, trust me, there isn’t a whole lot we were going to agree on anyway. My real friends are OK with us agreeing to disagree and respecting one anothers values and value as human beings. I remain, above all, adamantly respectful of the liberty all Americans have in using their voice.
And you know what is funny? As soon as I walked away from letting other people tell me what my voice should be, I started getting more and more business thrown my way. In fact, I am busier turning down more campaigns now than I ever was accepting them. And that feels really, really awesome. Because I only take what truly speaks to me….
Like this No Mas campaign. A campaign that celebrates the freedom of expression. MY freedom of expression. YOUR freedom of expression. Our civil right and responsibility to exercise the freedom of speech we are guaranteed by our Founding Fathers. THIS is the kind of campaign that aligns with who I want to be. Someone who isn’t afraid to speak up, share my self in a real way and listen to your voice as well. I firmly believe that we cannot grow as a friends, a community, a nation, and planet if we all don’t start to do two things:
Speak and Listen Equally.
So, over the next few weeks while I am working with No Mas please look for stories I will share on twitter and facebook and G+ about people that are being imprisoned, threatened or even killed for expressing themselves around the world. For this is something I think we need to guard against here in our own country and channel our collective voice to push for the freedom of these victims in others.
Sometimes my No Mas badge maybe silly. Sometimes it maybe snarky. Sometimes I may be serious. But at no times will my No Mas badge be Silent from this point on. There are just way too many things to talk about.
So, what about you? What are you saying No Mas to? It can be as silly or as serious as you want. Go make your own badge, share it wherever you want. But please let me know in the comments what it is! I’m so nosy like that!
FTC Disclosure: Thanks to Participant Media for sponsoring today’s discussion! I appreciate you paying me to blab on and on and on like this.
Love it. More women need to have your strength
I love that you found your voice! I’ve struggled back and forth with that myself on my site. I like the sounds of this campaign too….
I’m having trouble picking one word. I think I would do better if it said Mas _____. Mas Focus. Mas Happiness. Mas Love. Maybe No Mas Fake Food. Real food, healthy food.
I half expected yours to read no mas silencio. I also love Catherine’s more positive MAS _____________.
I think you’re on the money. And you’re incredibly brave. That kind of thing takes guts. How many times have you written a piece and not hit publish because you’ve been worried it might raise hackles that you’re not ready to cope with, but then a month or two later you go back to that draft article and think “oh, it wasn’t that big a deal actually.” The thing is, Barb my darling friend, even when you have courage to express your views, you do it in an inclusive way. You share, not slap. At least that’s what it feels like to me and my completely crazy non-gun-loving mind 😉
Happy to be a friend who can agree to disagree in a respectful manner. Speak it loud and proud.
I’m behind you Barb!
Great post! I’m a fellow blogger and also very much enjoying celebrating our freedom of speech with the No Mas campaign. While I may not agree with you on every issue you list above, I am happy to have found you, and happy that you have found your voice–that’s so important in blogging!