I did not expect such a response, George, and I appreciate it. I would never have guessed the author of this reply was lurking inside the author of the original comment, but we're complicated and surprising creatures.

That goes for me, too. I wrote a vulnerable piece about a relationship failure and my slow painful realization of why it failed, but I have my sharp edges. I could have ignored your comment but I put on my professor/prosecuting attorney hat and went at it. I probably wouldn't characterize myself as offended but indignant. You misread and trivialized my writing, and for some reason, I chose not to shrug it off. I don't feel the need to be the reading police on Medium, but sometimes, I admit, I put on the badge and uniform, and I put them on with you.

I'll disagree with you on one final point: the comments are not for your "experiences." At least, not ideally. They are for engagement. If you do not engage with the piece, don't comment. You can disagree with the piece, because disagreement is a form of engagement. But there's no point in saying, "I didn't like this" unless you're going to articulate something in the piece that you find wrong-headed or misleading or false. If the piece didn't grab you, do what everyone else does: move on.

Another surprise: you've been on Medium five years, and you've written no stories, have 6 followers, and follow 12? I didn't think Medium had such casual participants. I follow three of those you follow and read two others regularly, and they all write deeply personal and reflective essays and poetry, which makes your comment on my piece all the stranger to me. Mysteries abound.

Glad our exchange went the way it did. All best to you, and happy 2025, my friend.