The good Lord has been nudging me lately to get my ten digits back onto the keyboard of my MacBook Air. I hoped that if I opened the screen and started clicking away something magical would happen. And I hoped that words of wisdom would pour onto the pages of my blog, perhaps never before thoughts. Typed letters placed side by side might bring smiles and offer food for thought. However, my reality today is that I feel like a grounded dirigible that has had the wind sucked out of its propellers.

What I sense is that behind the lack of airflow to my proverbial sails of writing is the inevitable curse of social media.

There are ever so growing opportunities to share our personal beliefs and life experiences. “Posting” pics of family gatherings or chubby faces of newborn babies is a popular way to proclaim a nearly perfect life. Yet, there is also a plethora of unkind comments made available for perusing. Such words of disapproval on this issue or that person in political office will often use four-letter words describing an unsatisfactory day. “Airing dirty laundry” would have been the label for these unedited sharings decades ago. As Aldous Huxley wrote in 1931, we live in “a brave new world”. Today there seems to be “no holds barred, no restrictions” or rules concerning profanity or disrespect. Social media seems to have removed the decency that was once expected or was once called common sense.

Regardless, these ever so increasing icons lure us into techno oblivion. They promise sneak peeks into the lives of our friends and colleagues. Don’t we all search the internet for clever words that are easily repeated to those around us? But, in reality, as we type in our passwords, we are inviting a universe into our lives with little concern for our feelings, hopes, dreams or fears. We invite friends and strangers to vote on our not so private thoughts and experiences. We open our hearts to a possible world of hurt.

Recently I was on the receiving end of such hurt.

The particulars of my experience would do little more than deflecting the purpose of my composing this blog. Sorry, no juicy story here. The bottom line, I “shared” a post I perceived was “share-worthy”. Others thought not. There are many choices for reactions to a “post”. There are the thumbs up, smiley face, tear-stained face and a growing number of GIFs. Any of those choices would be harmless to my delicate sense of self-esteem. Instead, words I would not repeat in any setting were written in black and white; Words that lacked grace and compassion. When I read them, I felt embarrassed for the writer and deeply saddened. Those words were on my “wall” provoked by my “share”.

Do you remember the rhyme “Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me”? Who really ever believed that? I must admit that as a child when someone called me an unsavory name, I sang that little rhyme out loud and clear, attempting to shame my accuser. Ridiculous isn’t it? But this time these words were not only written, but they were also etched into time. Unlike a spoken word, these would not drift away like a summer cloud.

I will leave you with these thoughts dear ones

I am now part of social media’s walking wounded. Enough time has been spent having my own “pity party”. Now I am climbing out of my body bag and back into the light of day. I am taking a good look at myself. I am looking into a mirror that will not lie, and will not tell me things I wish to believe about myself. Its time to “fess up” to my own sharp words that may have been written to prove a point or demonstrate my moral superiority. I must ask myself: are my responses to posts the impetus for pain in others? Have my quips and quotes been a catalyst to anything other than love?

Jesus said:

“How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,” when you yourself fail to see the plank in your eye,? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Luke 6:42

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you”. Luke 6:31

The apostle Paul wrote:

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness humility, gentleness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12

In the late 20th century Edward Markham wrote:

“There is a destiny that makes us brothers. None goes his way alone, all that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own.”

Finally, my mom says:

” If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all”.

For me,

I would rather be thought of as a Tinkerbell spreading fairy dust than the “Pig-Pen” from Charlie Brown spreading a cloud of dirt. I have it in me to do both, but I will aim for Tinkerbell! Are you with me?

Blessings dear ones,

Karen