
Early in July, Topher DeRosia asked me to write an essay for HeroPress. That article has now been published. I don’t think there will be any surprises in it to people who have known me for any length of time, especially if you also read my personal blog from time to time. Most of what I talk about is my experience with the East Bay WordPress Meetup and how it led me deeper and deeper into the WordPress community.
https://heropress.com/essays/wordpress-ate-life-good-way/
For those of you not familiar with HeroPress, it’s a website that publishes essays “from people who have overcome barriers that previously kept them on the periphery.” The most significant obstruction in my life is chronic ill health. With that stacked against me, it’s particularly valuable to have found a career in a welcoming environment where I have not had to face gender or other discrimination.
That is not a universal experience for women in WordPress, but if you look at the 2010 photo of East Bay WordPress Meetup members at WordCamp SF below, you’ll see that the local community has always included plenty of women.

I can’t encourage you enough to join your local WordPress meetup, if you have one. It can change your life. Just go to Meetup.com and search for “WordPress.”
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