There have been some very powerful moments in 2020 that have really changed me. I'm only sharing two things because these two things have given me a big wakeup call, especially with social media.
I'm not going to go into insane detail, but I think some of these things are important for me to remember. Also note that this is a blog and therefore my experience and opinions. It's okay if you disagree with me on some of these issues, but I'm not here to start a fight.....this time.
1. George Floyd.
Okay this is huge for a lot of reasons, but because this happened I stumbled across a video on one of my friend's instagram sotries. I'm going to summarize because I can't find the actual video. So sorry you get my poor discription and story telling.
The video is a very pretty black woman. She shares this story about an experience with racism in NYC. She's very successful and is in town to help out someone with an event or something. She's in a very nice, upscale hotel.
In the morning she gets up early to get a coffee before her meeting or something. Her room is near the top of the hotel and she gets in. Several different people get on the elevator, old and young. She greets them all with a "good morning" and they generally respond back to her kindly.
When the reach the lobby floor of the hotel, one of the older gentlemen says, "Ladies first." in a sweet gesture to allow women off the elevator first.
The small group of women get off the elevator and this kind woman goes to get off the elevator and this same man puts out his umbrella and stops her from getting off. He says to her very mean, "Not you."
The blatant racism is something I will likely not see in person. I know for a fact I have and will see it in social media.
I know for a fact that I will not be that man. But will I be the others who are afraid of confrontation, or brushing off old people as "their generation" or will I say something?
2. The election.
Yikes guys. I'm not even sure I need a story to go with this. Constant posts, pictures, memes, and such quoted as facts twisting through social media.
After a certain point, I legit think this broke me. I can't just scroll passed the misinformation, racism, or anything claiming to be factual without doing something. So ya, I'm fact checking everything I see on facebook that is claimed as truth. I'm looking at multiple sources to confirm the things I see. If there's something wrong, I'll share the links I find and correct the people.
I can't be that person to let that kind of misinformation be spread about anything.
Maybe you are reading this post and I've corrected you before. Or maybe you think this whole post is silly. This is a big deal for me. I've always been described as a "peacemaker" or a "people pleaser". I tend to shy away from conflict and confrontation at any level.
2020 literally broke me. I think it's a good breaking though.
On a religious tone, Jesus corrected people all the time. He would correct them softly. That's what I"m aiming for-I don't just scream "FAKE NEWS" or "propaganda". I try to legit show how to research before just clicking "share".
Maybe that just gets me "snoozed" or "unfriended" but I am a-okay with that. This is not the time to lose ourselves, our knowledge, or the good journalism we grew up on in place of a faster, more flashy news that fits our perspective.
I don't know if it will ever go back to that and I have to become like that FOR ME.
It takes work, shuffling through biased sources, looking at both sides, but I have to and I really think we all should take the time to do that.
I look at the next generation and this kind of stuff on social media scares me to death. It will be so easy for them to look at screenshots of someones theories shared 15k times and assume it's gospel. It already is! Or what about some youtube video of a "doctor" saying this medication is a cure-all and they are being silenced (when they aren't even practicing MEDICAL DOCTORS). It's like we all need to go back to elementary school and learn how to research.
2020 broke me and made me vocal. I hope it breaks you too.
