if I follow/ed you

I am interested in listening to you, supporting you and sharing with you and interested in being your friend. I know it may take time for a relationship to develop, and I know that I am not entitled to your space. I feel lucky to be able to read and share the things you say. I would like to promote your words, not speak over them.

I am following you not because I want to gawk at you, but because I want to learn from you, chat with you and share with you - not so that I can take your work without credit, but because I think you are awesome.

I am following you because I appreciate what you have to say. I appreciate who you are.

(This is something I saw someone else do, and I’m going to link to this from my main page. As a white person who follows a lot of POC, I know that I am automatically suspect to people I don’t already know, and I totally understand why that would be. If you want me to stop following you, please let me know and I will. I don’t want to be in your space without your permission.)