Social Media Drive- By

Most likely we've all seen this happen and more than likely we've done the same thing ourselves at some point.  I call it the social media drive-by.  It happens far too often by far too many that claim that all others do this, but not them.

It is when someone responds to a social media post without reading the whole thing and begins preaching to you about what you need to do.  It is when someone shares something, but has no idea what was in the social media post they share.  It is when someone shares something that is sensational but doesn't fully check it out to make sure it is true.  Since others share it, they might as well too.

No one uses an ounce of common sense it seems or stops to think about something.  They just willy nilly share the darn thing because it might be the most vital piece of information the world will ever know.  Unfortunately, most of the time with about 5 seconds of a google search, you can see how untrue the "greatest information piece" actually is.

When you can barely wait to tell the person how they should live their life and what they should do and who they should base their life beliefs upon, there's something a little off here.  After all, do you really know that person in one small little tweet or Facebook post? Do you really know them?

I honestly don't understand because I do try hard not to share stuff unless I've read it.  I try to make sure it is balanced and fair and as factual as it can be.  I try to make sure it adds value to the overall conversation of the day, rather than just inflame and sensationalize a topic.

Too many of the drive-by social media postings are so one sided and off balance that it is just sad.  They don't try to see the whole thing as they just click that mouse and go on to the next social media posting.  In many ways, it forms a picture of ignorance.  We are what we say and share to the world whether we realize it or not.


What if for one moment, you took a brief second and thought more about a response to someone on one of their social media postings?  What if for one moment, you considered what you were posting and asked yourself, "will this really enhance the world or just be more noise in a day?"

There is so much noise in a day and the social media drive-by adds to that.  We've already got enough of this on every TV news channel, radio station, and internet video.  Do we really need to add more to that?  Do we really need to be more of the problem than the solution?

A social media drive-by does very little in my view to help advance humanity.  It just continues the spreading of stuff that has no nutritional value for the mind or body.  It is just more of the same noise that has become a nuisance.
 

We need to engage our brain cells more.  We need to engage our hearts more.  Spewing words for the sake of spewing words, does very little to help one another.  In fact, I think it not only hurts the mind and body, but I think it hurts the heart and essence of our souls.

Find a way to be balanced.  Find a way to be real.  Make your life count for something good, not succumb to the meaningless information that flows at a constant rate on the internet.  The world will thank you for it and if they don't, I will definitely thank you for it.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

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Hurt By Silence

Growing up, it was the weapon of choice.  My family knew how to use silence and they could out duel anyone with this weapon at a moment's notice.  I was hurt by silence as a kid and I'm still hurt by it today.

It didn't matter if the "crime" you were sentenced to justified the punishment, but silence was always one of the measures that was taken.  Yes, there were other punishments as well, but the silence played a key role in any judgment handed down.

In fact, when someone was given the silent treatment, the entire family knew that this was happening.  You did not dare cross the line of speaking to that particular family member because if you did, you risked getting the silent treatment upon yourself.  If this happened, most of the time any other person would be free from silence jail if they were in it.

I freak out at silence...

I struggle with this today.  Whether it is a friend or some business contact, if there is silence, I'm beginning to freak out.  I can't deal with it that easy.  It was such a weapon growing up that the slightest hint it is being employed and I'm down the river.

If you didn't do what the family expected, you got the silent treatment.  If you didn't answer a question in the way they demanded and expected, you got the silent treatment.  If you gave them a look that caused them to feel threatened or wounded, you got the silent treatment.

If you disobeyed their every command or decided to embark upon a decision all by yourself, you got the silent treatment.  If you dared to not follow the pack, you got the silent treatment.  If you even gave the slightest hint that you might share something from the family with anyone else, you got the silent treatment.

So many unwritten rules...

There were so many unwritten rules where they would pronounce you the judgment of being thrown into the silence jail.  When that sentence would be lifted was up to them and almost had nothing to do with what you did or did not do.

You could beg and plead, but that usually got you an extended sentence.  The best way out of it was to hope that another member of the family screwed up in some way and they got sentenced to silence.  There was generally only a place for one person in the silence jail.

It was horrible having people around you, but they wouldn't speak to you.  It was gut wrenching.  It was nerve racking.

As a member of the family, you were not allowed to pronounce silence on any other unless they were less significant than you.  However, the patriarch judge of the family was the supreme ruler with no appeal process.  He and he alone doled out the silent treatment.

To this day...

To this day, I can't stand the silent treatment. If you want to lose me as a friend, give me the silent treatment and see how far that goes.

As I once told a boss who was worried that I was upset with him, "as long as I'm talking to you, I'm not upset."   Its when I get silent that usually signals I'm upset.  For if I get too upset, I find it better to just not say anything because my words will not come out correctly.

Silence messes with your mind.  It makes you feel less than.  It is a control and manipulation technique that was passed down to me which I try hard to never use.  Unfortunately I am human and I was taught well how to employ this technique.

At times in life, I'm hurt by silence.  I love hearing the sounds of someone's voice, or the thoughts of someone that is a thinker.  I love to hear the connections made by the utterance of sound and silence stops all that.  Silence prevents all that.  Silence hurts!

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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Double Speak

It is everywhere.  It is so prevalent that everyone seems to do it but doesn't realize they are doing it.  Double speak is the norm.  Double speak is how we communicate.

I grew up in a home where I was told time and time again, "Don't do as I do.  Do as I tell you to do!"  My father preached and practiced this one every waking minute and day of his life.  The other family members did the same thing for that is what they were being taught.

Unfortunately, neither my Dad or my family seemed to realize that if you don't walk the talk, you're really not someone people want to listen to or trust what you say.  They tend to see right through you as if you are just a bunch of hot air.

Today in politics, we have everyone on all sides of the political spectrum that say one thing, but do another.  They think one way, but they don't practice it.  They spout how horrible others are but they fail to see the logs in their own eyes.  They make sure everyone knows how misguided the people who don't believe the way they do are but at the same time, they don't even stop to listen to themselves.  It isn't one side of the spectrum only that does this.

Freedom and the law and the rules applies to everyone else, but don't you dare turn it back on the ones spouting the rhetoric.  After all, they are the righteous ones or that is what they seem to think.  They don't entertain the thought that maybe someone else has a valid thought or maybe most of their rhetoric is like a water bucket full of holes.

It is easy to tell others what to do.  So many do this in a day and are so oblivious to it that they just keep going on spreading the nonsense and BS as if it is greater than oxygen itself.  Humans seem to love doing this and it is strong evidence of just how alive the ego is today in our world.

Before you start thinking that you've got your act together, I'd say you might want to tread lightly on that thought.  After all, the ego loves to puff ourselves up and make us think we are much more than we are.  It likes to prove to the world just how great we are and how wrong everyone else is.

Double speak is a poison on our society because it makes others less than ourselves.  It makes us delusional in that we know something when others don't.  It brainwashes us into people who think alike and dare to challenge the status quo.

Double speak hurts others. It takes away their humanness.  It reduces not only ourselves and the people around us, but the entire world down into an us vs. them viewpoint.

Double speak is not helpful to human awareness and consciousness.  Double speak is not helpful to the advancement of a civilized society.

If you want to check yourself on this, take an inventory during the day of what you say and how you say it to others.  How do your words come across to people?  Are your words uplifting and helping others see your point of view?  Are you seeing another person's point of view in an open way, or is it nothing more than seeing their view through your own filters?

There are so many examples of double speak in our day and politics is only one of them.  If you look closely at religions or groups and clubs, you'll see this alive and well.  All too often we alienate ourselves by the practice of double speak, when we could become much more enlightened if we stopped the ego and began to listen to one another.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
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Depression Sucks

Some days I don't feel much and other days I feel too much.  Some days I care and other days I could care less.  I feel robbed and cheated and used and abused.  I feel lonely, forsaken, and left alone in this world.

I fight the loneliness, but yet I want to hide in my cave.  I fight the hurt and pain, but yet I can't feel.  I want to love and care, but I've been so hurt that those things feel like sharpened swords flying towards me at high speed.

Depression saddens me, but it is my friend.  Depression is horrible, but at this moment it feels like my solace.  Depression shades everything around me and distorts all that I see.  Depression saddens me.  Depression hurts me.

I see the happy thoughts and I hear the battle cries from all those around me.  The thoughts and cries seem wonderful, if only I didn't live in this darkened world.  I'm reminded of the simple steps to think differently and change my life, but I'm forever chained by depression.

I get up each day, fighting and hoping that things will be different.  I get up each day hoping that depression will have vanished in the night.  I get up each day just hoping and wishing and begging that this will have been one horrible nightmare last night.

Depression sucks.  Depression is horrible.  Depression is like chains that bind you to the point of living a life unlike the one you desire.

I so badly want to flee depression.  I so energetically try to flee depression.  Yet, as I look behind me, I see depression pushing me forward.

Why can't I just stop and punch it in the face?  Why can't I just stop and obliterate it so that it never follows me again.

Why, I ask?

Why?

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Blog Post And Images (c) 2016 by Don Shetterly

• Permission required before any part of this blog post is reprinted, reworded or used in any form. 
• You are welcomed to share the LINK to this blog post.  

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