I am human...

Hey y'all, this isn't really a rant, but it is my view on several things going on in the world.  I love to read. I started out reading Dick and Jane in the first grade, then quickly was able to actually read the back of the cereal box, instead of just looking at the graphics.  I was always in the library and when I wasn't playing with my Barbies, I always asked for something to read. I had comics books with characters like Little Dot, Little Lotta and Baby Huey. I not only loved to read, but I loved to hear someone read out loud. I was read to as a child, which created a bonding experience for all involved and for just for fun, even as adults, my mother, sister and I read out loud to each other. (My brother was somewhere being...himself, but that's another column for another day). Anyway, before I digress completely, I wanted to let you know how much I love to read.

These days I not only read the newspaper, (yes the actual paper one), I read novels and magazines and "how-to-books".  When I'm not creating something in my art studio, I enjoy reading or writing.  I belong to an awesome online community, some folks that I know, some I will surely meet one day.  We communicate back and forth with text messages and private messages and even in comments on our favorite FB pages.  FB stands for Facebook , which, as most of you now know, is one of the remaining social media sites that lots of us are a part of.

There are so many places online that people leave comments. Comments...news stories, social media such as FB, Instagram and Twitter are all places where people can voice their opinions. Some of these sites are personal pages and some are public and some are even private or secret.  With all these websites out there, I can see where some folks may forget that their comments are being read by humans.  There are people that comment that are very young and have little life experience and some that are well more experienced and want you to know how knowledgeable they are.  There are some people that comment that are just plain mean and hateful.  There are so many commenters our there.  Some aren't even who they say they are, but for their own reasons they want you to think they are your friend, or a friend of your cause, or just like-minded.

I am giving you all this background simply to share with you something I knew, but was reminded of yesterday.  I read what I considered an unsolicited lengthy comment on someone's page and it kind of ticked me off.  I even went to bed thinking about it.

This morning I was feeling differently about it.  The person, someone I know, didn't mean anything by it, they just wanted to be part of the conversation.  Maybe they were feeling neglected that day, or maybe they were remembering some time from their past when their opinion wasn't taken seriously, but whatever the reason they were trying to educate others.  I learned from this. I learned to remember that there are real people behind those comments. I was reminded that long unsolicited comments don't have a place on someone else's page, they are for your own page.  I was reminded that the things that bug me about people are the things I do not want to do.  Maybe I'm turning it all back around to be about me, but it's what I need to do to keep from throwing my arms in the air and screaming "what the hell is wrong with you?"

I want to be kind and thoughtful and insightful.  If your life is different from mine, sometimes I want to know what it's like to be you. Unless you are a mean, crazy bitch...then you know what, I don't want to be anything like that.

I am human and I certainly hope that all of you are also.  Be reminded... when someone says something hateful,  be reminded, "I don't want to be like that".  Be reminded when someone tells you something that you should do, but don't do themselves,  be reminded, "I don't want people to see me the way they see you, when you act like that".  Take the opportunity to use the negative comments and the unsolicited advice, and the requests for pity and money and who knows what else...take these as an opportunity to be selfish...use what you see out there, not to get mad about it, but to make yourself a better person.  A better human.

You'll feel better in the morning, I know I always do.

So commenters, give it your best shot. Bitch and moan, tell me lies and beg for money, post pictures that aren't real, give out your unsolicited and boring opinions. Bring it on, because you know what???  I'm a better person for it. Bet you didn't count on that, did you?