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I can’t recall the day I discovered a website called The Good Men Project. If memory serves, I was directed to it by a sister writer from Elephant Journal, which is another venue for which I write. The tagline; The Conversation No One Else is Having about what it means to be a good man in our society, fascinated me. I was hesitant initially to reach out to them, to pitch them on story ideas, wondering what the heck I knew about that concept, being a cis-gender woman. Then I thought about it and realized that I have been blessed to have many good men in my life, including my father, uncles, cousins, my 6th-grade teacher, friends, lovers, my husband, and son.
I contemplated the ways in which they made a difference in the world and how knowing them changed me in innumerable ways. I took the leap and made contact and was openly embraced. I began writing for The Good Men Project in 2014 and since then, have explored in various articles, my father-daughter relationship, my marriage, widowhood, single parenting, the meaning of gender identity, sexual preference, body image, suicide, addiction, parenting, the balance of power in relationships, anger, child abuse, domestic violence and currently, my own dating. relating and mating journey.
I also appreciate the reciprocal relationship I have with HuffPost and GMP that allows me to cross-promote and re-publish my articles. True creative cooperation at play.
One of the things I particularly appreciate about writing for GMP is the team support. This far flung group of wordsmiths promote each other’s articles, cheer each other on and share writing prompts. In the journalism field, often exists a sense of competition. Not so here. Even if someone has a similar idea, there is always a new take on it. We are encouraged to speak from our own experience.
Now, we are extending our reach into an inclusive form of communication called ‘participatory media’ that invites you, the reader to take an active role in extending the conversation on a global scale. You are intelligent, curious, opinionated and thirsty for new ideas. We are providing a venue in the form of ConvoCasts formed around social interest groups on topics such as racism, gender, love, dating, PTSD, spiritual fitness, and politics. Think of it as an expansive campfire around which we create our own light and heat, share our stories, maybe even sing kumbaya and indulge in symbolic s’mores.
In order to take this leap, we have created an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to train facilitators and design an app to let folks know that the group is about to begin and when the recording is available for broadcast. We encourage you to participate in any way you can. Share the message, support the campaign, and join us around the campfire. Together, we can make a difference and be a greater force for good in the world.
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This post was originally published on the author’s Huffington Post blog and is republished here with her permission.
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Photo credit: Getty Images