There are a million things to get upset about in just about every aspect of every human life. It’s the unfortunate byproduct of how we’ve culturally conditioned ourselves and our perspective. This is just a simple fact.
For the last 41 years I have spent the better part of my time examining how I interact with myself, how I interact with others, how others interact with myself and how others interact with others. It’s just how I’m wired.
In recent times, I have had the pleasure (and the curse) of being a witness to all of these interactions and the way they unfold themselves in what seems very much to be real time on the internet, specifically on the varying versions of social media platforms.
Having said that, I will say, respectively and without a shadow of a doubt, that as our interactions currently exist we are an abysmal, disconnected version of ourselves.
Just this morning, as I was scrolling through the masses of posts on Facebook, I stumbled upon what seemed to be a rather important message from somebody I know in Oklahoma. The message outlined some changes this person had recently made to a bicycle event that they host. As a one-time promoter of a similar event, my curiosity was stimulated. I dove in.
The article itself was very well written and outlined clearly the key components of any good first-hand account. That is to say, what things were like, what happened and what things are like now.
Good enough...and then the comments.
Once I got to the comments section I concretely found myself looking at what I believe is currently our worst selves getting worse.
It is tragic.
Some may remember (most likely don’t or have no idea at all) that I went through something terrible in the way of social media comments earlier this year. The cause for my experience was rooted in systemic, disconnected privilege. The cause for today’s unraveling of humanity is no different.
The main takeaway, for me at least, is that words matter and they matter a ton. What we say has value and can impact people far beyond what we think our reach might be. More important than our words, however, are our actions that follow and while I will be the first to admit that I have made mistakes along my journey, what we do in the wake of what we say is paramount to all else.
With that, I challenge you. I challenge you to examine your words and examine your actions. Does the language you use connect and unite people? Do your actions build inclusive communities and strengthen bonds? Or, are the things you say and do dividing and excluding people, either present or past?
We are nothing but the sum of our experiences and as such, it is imperative that we keep one of each of our senses on the past and the others right here in the present.
I hope, with all of my faculties, that something I’ve written here resonates with you and I encourage you to share this message. We are more divided today as humans than we have ever been in our history.
Connect, encourage and include. This is our time and this is our responsibility.