Dear Social Media ‘Friend’, My Soul Is Famished.

Dear Social Media Friend,

It’s hard to concentrate on daily tasks when my social-media mind takes me from one article posted to another then another, no good news. Hateful commentaries, op-ed pieces, fake videos, false pieces and “writers” submitting their work on grounds I am sure they feel they have a right to espouse, what are we even to believe? Blaming everyone but them/our/selves, speculation, lies, hate, stone-throwing, all around me there is no good news. Our own people re-posting their opinions about why we are just as bad as “them”. As if. Wake up. Enough of the liberal mumbo-jumbo. I am literally distracted and sick. Dizzy from all the misinformation, holier-than-thou attitudes of some people claiming to be my “friends” on Facebook. I am not generally vocal about my political or religious stand on lots of issues. People see me as a pacifist because I am, but in my heart there are a lot of issues that I am very ‘to-the-right’ of, but my opinions are my own and I don’t try to change anyone else’s. If you ask me, I’ll be very clear and share – but sometimes, like today, I am just so over it. I want to scream out, “JUST SHUT UP!”, most of our mothers taught us, if we have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. We will never learn will we? Tell us your opinions, but be wise about it. Say it nicely. Don’t hate on your fellow Jew. Don’t be sarcastic – most of you are not funny. Say what you really mean and sound educated if you ‘put it out there’. I try to shut it all down BUT. Then, I see something, a small sliver of something uplifting and I think, okay there is hope for us yet.

For the young girls who baked and left pastries at a bus stop for soldiers protecting them. For the delicious steak someone is having most probably at a lunch meeting – being productive. For the friend who found a way to return precious lost items to their rightful owners. For the community who felt it was a good idea to spend their money to send a representative to visit the mourning families. For my old neighbor who took his guitar to sing with children.

If I can help it, for the rest of the day I am going to try to disappear from all of you and reflect on the ways I can be a better person, use MY time more wisely. Too much of my time has been spent (and probably wasted) on here-say and falsehoods. On opinionated stuffed shirts and hot air.

A piece of my mind is probably atrophied and continues to shrivel up due to drivel and anger. My soul is famished and seeks proper nourishment. So dearest social-media ‘friend’ I hope you read this and post something positive today and feel free to tag me so that tomorrow when I come back, my head won’t hurt as much and I won’t feel as sick and unproductive. Remind me why we are friends. Challenge extended.

Cheri