Everybody has a story

Today I had to run to the library to take a picture and while I was there I looked around a bit, like I always do.  I am a big fan of libraries and could spend hours there if you let me.  Anyway, I was looking at the papers and there was a little book sitting there and on the cover it said something about words being powerful.  I can't exactly remember.

Needless to say, I was intrigued.  I opened the book and there were a couple of things that people had written down.  One of the sentences was this, "There is no one in the world you couldn't love, if you could only read their story."  Think about that.  I just thought, whoa.  That is so good.  So powerful.  So true.

As the editor at a small town newspaper, I always say that the best part of my job is the people that I get to meet.  As cliche as it sounds, everybody has a story.  I remember some of my favorite stories - a business woman who became goat farmer, a story of two sisters that battled cancer, a foreign exchange student from China, etc, etc, etc.  I LOVE to hear people's stories.  I like to know what makes them tick.

I think sometimes, because of human nature being the way it is, we are too judgmental.  I can admit that I am.  I think something or say something and think, why did I say that? Why do I think that?  I don't even know that person.  UGH!  It's a work in progress.

Everybody has things going on that people don't know about it.  Everybody has inner battles.  Everybody has things that make them the way they are.  If we truly knew these things, do you think we would be more understanding?  Compassionate?  Forgiving?  I think it would be a safe bet that we would.

My Hiatus

For those of you that follow me on Facebook, you know that I declared that I was taking a break from it for awhile.  I was only going to use it for work, Blake updates or blog updates.

I really love social media - Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, I do.  But, at the same time, I really dislike it.  If I had to pick one that I dislike the most, it's probably Facebook.

Do not get me wrong, Facebook has been a godsend for me in relaying information quickly about Blake.  I appreciate how much people started praying for us and how the word got around about what was going on.  I cannot say enough good things about that aspect of it.

However, it seemed to me that it had continually gotten more and more negative.  People would post these long, epic posts full of negativity.  It's not like Twitter where you only have 140 characters, Facebook allows you to go on as long as you want.  I think the tipping point for me was when I saw in a group that I was a part of  people saying not so nice things.  Do people not realize who could be reading what they're saying?!  Obviously, the answer to that question is no or I guess they really don't care.

 

I also find it funny that people can sit behind a computer or phone screen and type away.  If those people saw that person on the street, would they be ballsy enough to say it to them?  Probably not.  It's so gutless to me. 

I see negativity every day.  I hear negativity every day.  If you're like me, you don't have time for that!  Geez, life is too short to be crabbing about other people all the time.  We are all blessed in this life - with family, with friends, with a roof over our head, food in our belly, sunshine, laughter, etc.

My hiatus from Facebook will continue.  Honestly?  I don't miss it that much. I mean, I do miss hearing about what people's kids are up to, babies that have been born, new jobs that have been started, but a lot of it, not really.  I have my Instagram account where I love seeing different photos and I post a lot more on Twitter (yay for 140 characters!) and I'm good with that.

I guess I'm just asking that you do me a favor...when you're posting something ask yourself if it's a kind thing to say.  Ask if you'd say it to the person's face.

Just be kind.  The world just needs a little (ok, a lot more) of that, don't you think?