Facebook is Dehumanizing

Yep.  I said it.
Facebook is dehumanizing.

Day after day I see people posting their 2 second soundbites to the faceless Facebook army, or as we like to call them "friends".  I don't know about you, but my friends don't act the way I see these people acting.

My friends care about me.  My friends know that what they say is important.  My friends are not glib to me on a daily basis.  They don't call me names like "stupid" or "moron" when I give an opinion that is contrary to theirs.  If they see something off in me they take care to approach me with love.  They value me.


What I see is an increasing amount of demoralizing and dehumanizing comments on Facebook. Someone says something they don't like and BLAH!-- they vomit on them.They don't think about the reaction the other person will have.  They don't think about the reactions that ANYONE reading it will have (and chances are there are a ton of people reading it). I suppose they just don't care.  All THOSE people are faceless.  They are not human with feelings and lives, stresses or baggage.  Those people are inconsequential.

Please think.  PLEASE.  The comments you make are going to real people with faces and feelings.,  They could be having a bad day, or their husband left them, or they were abused, or... They could be people who need encouragement.  There are no simple issues.  Life is complex and we ARE connected.

The next time you go to answer someone on FB--before you click a single key-- ask yourself if you were standing face to face with this person would say it and how would you say it?  If you really care about what you are saying, you will want it to effect positive change.  I don't change or consider rude people.  And if you aren't into effecting positive change, you just want to be mean or cruel. Imagine if we committed to lifting people up with our words on Facebook instead of tearing them down?  What you speak to in a man rises up.  Speak joy!  Speak peace!  Speak life! There is no room in the world for poison, bigotry and hatred. Not in the world I hope to live in anyway.

Enjoying the Harmony of Life

Our squashes at Heron's Nest Farm are looking great. We were a little late in getting them in, but the fruits have "set" and are getting plumper by the day.

Yesterday we put garlic in and I plan to plant shallots this weekend. I can hear the freshly tilled earth calling to me. The farm seems to beckon me all throughout my day. But the farm is not the only thing beckoning; my children need me as they start the school year, my home needs constant attention, my own yard is in disrepair, I am taking 17 units in 2 weeks, and, and...

It's all a bit foreboding. But yesterday it was so quiet in the field with the soft soil beneath my feet and the birds tweeting. There is an incredible feeling of containment that overwhelms me when I look down the symmetrical rows of tilled earth and plant cloves of garlic in a straight line 6 inches on center. It's incredible the joy of the potential just beneath the surface and the visual splendor of crops fruiting full throttle. Everything seems perfect in those moments and really I want for nothing more. It is as though I can hear the sound of all creation singing in harmony and its melody quashes every worry.

Jesus told us not to worry and when I sit in those moments I understand why. That song I hear is the one of many lives and energies adding their piece/peace to the score. It is never cacophonous unless I fall out of its rhythm. Instead of being present in the moment I drift away to my list of things to do, bills, etc. I essentially check out of reality and the noise in my head drowns out the beauty and synchronicity of resting in perfect love and perfect trust.

That's what I want; to rest in this world nestled with those lives and energies, loving and trusting them. I want to grow in the appreciation of those around me knowing that we are interconnected and that the parts are never greater than the sum. I hope we can all enjoy the symphony and appreciate the notes that are being offered by the people and life in all its forms around us everyday, every way, and in every moment. It's a precious song whose rhythm both shapes us and helps us to contribute our distinct offering of "self".

Thoughts?