One of the nicest things that happens on Twitter is when you realised you reached someone and influenced how they see others, for the better. The below DM I received is shared with the writers permission. I get a few of these, but this one sort of sums up lots of them. 1/

I really don't say that much about culture. In fact, I skirt it quite hard a lot of the time. There are people far better placed to talk about traditions, languages, heritages, histories, etc than I am. As a rule I tend not to even clarify my specific background.
2/

There's a reason for that. When I say "ok, I am this" more than 50% of the time I will get "it's not your lot, it's the other lot". That can get in the bin. All travelling traditions are valid and all travelling people are human. You can't use me as a way to split the pack.

3/

Also, many of us are complicated. A lot of Romany advocates I know have one non-Romany parent. A lot of Irish Travellers I know have never travelled and don't want to. "New" Travellers are a 3-generation cultural tradition at this point. There are many cross-overs between us.

4/

So it's rare I talk directly about heritages. I usually RT others. What I tend to talk about it laws, social attitudes, common experiences, the weather, the kids, the traffic, food... Life under the hedge.

Admittedly this is currently stalled for the duration.

5/

I get a lot of followers who hope they'll get pretty painted wagons and ponies. I have absolutely never shared an original image of either. On purpose.

What I do on here, is humanise the villified. I do that most powerfully by being human, being no better or worse than you.

6/

If you are learning anything from me, as this person has, it's that travellers (of every tradition, and I am passionate about this, all travelling people) are just people. And that the intersection of our people's and society is absolutely systemically bigoted and degrading.

7/

Thank you so much all of you who have written me something nice at some point. In this times of unhappiness it particularly means a lot to me.

But thank you more those of you who are listening. You are the change I want to see in this world.

8/8.