Olive Branch

Not a day goes by that I don’t check my social media and find another rant by a friend or relative. Mind you, I have my moments were I have to rant about this or that. But I’d like to think that my rants are well balanced and based on fact, not just hearsay or paranoia. While I find many of these posts to be hateful and downright insulting, I usually keep my trap shut and love them anyway. Still I must admit they get under my skin.

One of the major downsides to social media is the instantaneous way it allows us to respond to whatever fact or fiction we may hear. In a way the fast movement of important information is good, but when that information isn’t complete it can create an even bigger problem. On a personal level I understand we all have our beliefs and opinions. And at some point someone else’s beliefs and opinions will eventually clash with our own. I suppose here’s where the words empathy and compassion come in.

Listen I’m the last person on the planet that should be preaching about offending someone else’s feelings. If you know me at all you know I’m an opinionated smart-ass who never believes they’re wrong. (Can I get an AMEN, Kids?) But in my defense I was brought up in an environment where creating a crusty hard shell was your only means of survival. But hey, I’m learning. Seriously.

My point here is I know how words can be divisive, hurtful, and downright mean. Now you can seat here and read this and say, “Oh, go grow a pair”. But rather we want to admit or not, words do hurt and assuming things can lead to a whole lotta’ hurtin’. All I ask is you think before you strike the keyboard. This is a new age and words matter more than ever. It’s sad to see our world shortened to 140 characters and our attention spans reduced to that of a two-year-old, but that’s the way it is.

All I can do is pass out olive branches to those that embraced this way of living. So that hopefully through my flawed examples they may understand life is more than just posts and likes. It’s about connecting, loving, and respecting one other, even when we feel they are wrong.