Putting the Brakes on Social Networking

A girl I met in my Bradley class posted on FB last week that she was taking a break from the site.  She explained she wanted to work on her real life relationships with people that would actually show up to a dinner party.  She removed all her photos and made everything private.  I totally understand where she is coming from on this.

I love Facebook.  It has been an amazing tool to keep in close contact with those I cannot see often and was even better when I left for Kansas and wasn't close to anybody.  It kept me feeling close and left no pause or loneliness in the friend department.  I've posted photos, opinions, crazy shit at the time I have seen it, important info and just anything to start a conversation with people I know and don't know.  

I have kept up with happenings from people who have moved away that I would have probably otherwise lost contact with.  It's been fun and interesting.  But it's coming to an end for me.   I realized last week that maybe half (and that's a big fat maybe)would indeed show up to a dinner party.  Even fewer actually speak with me on the phone and some I haven't even seen in a few years.  I have realized there is no opinion left to post.  Not one bit of information left to educate anyone on. 

I have come to a place in my life that I have discovered a strong calling and opinions on some unpopular subjects that really test the ability of others to see past what they have been taught otherwise and I do not think that staying within the realms of Facebook is going to actually change anyone.  Nor do I really care to change the opinion of the people I know any longer.  I've got a bigger audience out there to deal with. 

So with all that in mind, I have decided that while I am not deactivating my account, I will no longer post updates. opinions studies, etc to Facebook.  I may still make comments on others people's things, but my life is here in this blog and the real world.  I am picking up a REAL camera again and taking actual photos of my life and they will go here. My blog. My personal place of sharing. 

If you have the time to leave Facebook and visit me here, so be it.  If you have the time to pick up the phone and text or call me, I'd love it.  If you want to take the time to actually meet up, then you are one of few.  

My Facebook wall is now private.  I will respond to messages left there, in my inbox or on the messenger. If you see things here you wish to share, please feel free to share the link, but you will have to come here to get updates, I will no longer post the new links to FB.  

The links to this blog, my business blog and the photo blog can all be found under my info. 

Thanks Facebook, you have been awesome, but its time for me to step back and find what friends would actually drop what they are doing and help me out if I made that phone call.  

Chick-Fil-A: Messages of Hate?

This past week CEO of Chick-Fil-A was quoted saying

 "We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit, We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that."

It has turned in a bashing fest across America.  People claiming the company "hates gays", calling for boycotting the company and so forth.  Today an appreciation day was called in honor of the company for standing by their beliefs and having the right to say so.  From what I can see in my own town as well as hearing about the event in others, people still support the company in a big way.

That statement does not speak one word of hate.  It is simply a statement of belief.  Since when is that hateful?  Hate is an intense hostility and aversion to something.  I see nothing of the sort in that statement.

What is hateful is the response of the public toward it.  The anger over something this country was founded on, freedom to practice ones own religion.  We are allowed to feel, think and speak our minds in this country.  Yes, sometimes it offends.  If we cannot be honest and express our feelings, morals and beliefs, then what freedom do we really have?

I am not religious.  Not a single bit. I respect anyone who is and who has a deep relationship with G-d and it does not offend me. I enjoy learning about what drives them toward it, how it effects their lives, the values and depth of love it brings them.  It's amazing really.  But there are 2 kinds of Christians in this world, the kind that do not spread hateful messages in the name of their savior and the ones that do.

Its that second group of people you have to watch out for.  I've known parties in both camps and the ones that have a true love and understanding of their religion are really very amazing people.  They literally could not do any harm or be hateful if their lives depended on it.  They harbor no ill fate for anyone or anything.  They simply go about their lives with the love of the Lord in their hearts. That is how it should be.

Chick-Fil-A did not say or intend anything hateful.  They exercised their rights to speak and follow a religion, the foundation of this country.  To go about a nasty, ugly rant about and spread words of hate, well that my friends is flat out un-American and not very Christian like.

At the end of the day, marriage between two men or two women is not being held back by religion, it's being held back by government.  Don't get mad at the God loving folks, get pissed at your elected officials who have no business regulating marriage.  This is a free country after all, that includes freedom to love and marry whom you choose as long as its done in love and understanding.