In the complex of reasons I write here on Medium, money is one. Living in Mexico amplifies the small dollar amount into something more significant. But I’m mostly trying to put words around thoughts and feelings that I want to define so that others can recognize and know there are like-minded souls with the same concerns in the world. Finding these folks is one of the great benefits of Medium for me.

My wife is starting to introduce me as a writer, which always catches me off guard. I don’t feel that I am “a writer,” whatever that is, but since I don’t aspire to that identity, I can let that question lie. The discipline of writing every day, the sense of community, the discovery of thinkers and writers of consequence, the inspiration of the project itself with so many brilliant contributors constitute what brought me into Medium.

Helen, I want to say I always enjoy your writing. This piece addresses the issue of “why write on Medium” in a graceful and even handed way.

By the way, I posted a piece yesterday on aging sexually that is inspired by one of your pieces.