I can remember the firestorm that erupted late last year on Linkedin.
A guy seemingly thought a comment I made on one of his posts was, shall we say, in very poor taste. He called me a word to express that sentiment. It was colorful, but also explosive.
I have been at this thing for a while, life. Usually, when something like this happens, I reach out privately, apologize and try to make an ally.
There was a part of me that knew it wouldn’t work, but I tried anyway.
Sure enough, the guy kept hammering me.
Ugh.
I tried.
He is a recruiter, and I suspect a terrible one. He acted like a frat boy, to be honest.
One thing stuck out in his repeated attacks via Linkedin Message (yes folks, this really happened, with an adult!).
He laughed out loud at me considering myself a WordPress developer. It was clear his laughter was at me because I chose to work with WordPress.
He obviously thought very little of the software that you and I spend every day using to help people build their businesses.
I was less, in his opinion, because I used WordPress.
I didn’t pay him any attention, however.
I knew.
The WordPress Family
I knew that some really cool people used this platform.
These are people who are helping others build their dreams, their businesses.
Even more, they are people who help others in need.
These are people willing to help others learn so that they can grow in their knowledge and understanding and become self-sustaining.
I have never seen more help in a professional industry in my life, with the exception of freelance writers.
Sure, we have our share of WordPress Drama, but every industry does because, well, we are all human.
And yes, not everyone wants to help other succeed.
I have been able to chat, if even only briefly, with some of the big players in the WordPress ecosystem. It may be in a Slack chat room or on Twitter, but many of those guys and gals are very accessible.
I remember the first time I went to a WordCamp here in my home state of Arkansas. The first presentation I sat in was a developer from nearby Tulsa.
Turned out that Trisha Salas is a very respected person our WordPress ecosystem.
One of the persons who was responsible for the WordCamp in our little part of the world presented at WordCamp USA this past year. She is also respectable in the WordPress kingdom.
.@JosephaHaden Realize that underrepresented segments of your team may feel like they have to justify their work & burnout. #wcus pic.twitter.com/WrEE3s4Lmn
— WordCamp US (@WordCampUS) December 2, 2016
So, I’m not sure what my nemesis was fussing about, honestly.
Could it be that he is the one who just didn’t know?
Frankly, it doesn’t matter.
To me, a hero is one is preservers, overcomes adversity, and continues to progress while helping others along the way.
In fact, the definition of a hero is “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” (Google: https://www.google.com/#q=hero)
The word hero can be overused if we are not careful.
A hero is also the protagonist in a story. In other words, you are the hero in your own story.
The hero, as it turns out, has a journey he (or she, heroine) goes through. We all have a journey.
Who are some of these people?
Who are these heroes (and heroines) of WordPress?
One of the coolest projects I have stumbled across recently is HeroPress.
The site is maintained by WordPress developer Topher DeRosia.
DeRosia told me the site has been telling stories for two years.
The website is filled with stories by various WordPress developers, telling about their own journey and how WordPress has helped them endure.
This week's essay is from Heather Acton @HeatherActon : "Screw the Blueprint. Design Your Own Path to Fulfillment." https://t.co/3q8qqrB77j
— HeroPress (@heropress) January 25, 2017
Heroes need friends, new members of their family, which help them along the way. Topher relayed how meaningful the WordPress family has become to him and his family.
I see people I know on HeroPress and those I will know. There are so many stories, each written by the subject of the story.
Their honest appraisals of lives, how they overcome, how WordPress is part of that journey.
Some who are reading this article may already have contributed a story to HeroPress.
The stories of others are very interesting to me. I am currently reading the memoir of a friend and local writer. Listening to her tell the story feels like I’m a fly on the wall during some of the best and most painful times in her life.
I am interested to know how someone got to where they are in life. What turns did they experience? What obstacles did they overcome? Who helped them along the way?
You can see answers to these questions in the stories at HeroPress.
The Final Act
What are the stories you want to tell?
What are the stories you want to hear?
Have you read HeroPress? Which story is your favorite?
I look forward to reading more of those stories.
Will you join me?
Thanks Topher for this treasure of WordPress stories!
PS, create your own fictional hero!
