Things We Hear & See: Stay Calm, Post Kindly

Things We See and Hear by Marvin Thompson, Jr.

“What would you do if I sang out of tune, would you stand up and walk out on me?”  –The Beatles

Well, you probably wouldn’t walk out on me – but if I were a betting man, I could be sure you’d go on Facebook and tell the world how awful I was!

Truth is, in this era of social media it is way too convenient to critique whomever we want, whenever we want.  Yes it is I, Mr. Pot calling out Mr. Kettle, for I have been guilty of said crime, as well.  But beyond that, some posts I’ve seen as of late have been extremely, dare I say, mean.

Just go through your Twitter feed during an awards show, “She sounds a hot mess”, or “Who told him to wear that” – and it goes on and on.  I think we forget that behind the profile pics and timelines, real people do exist.

I’m sure there are times we’ve all worn something questionable out in public or made a mistake on an issue and wished we could be handed a do-over.  And every singer/musician/artist (insert your profession or craft here) has had an off day (or week or year).  It happens!  I’m sure the lady in Wal-Mart sporting the tube top that was labeled the wrong size (benefit of the doubt) would gladly re-think her choices from that morning had she known her girth would be posted on Instagram for all the world to see.

Whether it is directed to a friend, celebrity or a business that you frequent, for the next few days (baby steps of course), for every critical thing that you think about tweeting/texting/posting, try posting something positive and encouraging.  For example, instead of:

The McDonald’s near my house has the worst service and the cashiers should be fired. 

Try this:  It’s encouraging to know that management at my McDonald’s is working to improve customer service, and the increase in minimum wage is sure to motivate the employees to go the extra mile.

You get the picture?  While there’s never a cause to lie, you should realize that your “I just tell it like it is” mantra might not be what’s needed at that moment and besides, how good are you at taking what you dish out?

Let’s always lift up and inspire each other.  Lifelines are more important than timelines.