I’m
going to make a valiant attempt at talking politics without
talking politics in this essay. I’ll probably fail. But I still
feel the need to take a shot…
I’m
a bit disappointed in the past year or so. Not so much with any
specific person or group. Not so much with any specific event.
Not so much with myself.
Oh,
don’t get me wrong, people have disappointed me… we all can figure
out some of the disappointing events of the past year… and there
are definitely places where I wish I had accomplished more.
But
that’s not it.
See,
if we did actually try to point to people and places and events
and so on, then sure, there are specifics. Over the past few weeks…
months… years… I find I’m being presented with sides of people
I honestly didn’t know existed. And, in some cases, I’m talking
about people I truly would have told you I knew pretty well. So…
…instead…
well… have you been on any social media platform in the past few
months? Because if you have, that will do quite nicely in connecting
most of the dots we need for a clearer picture.
I
wanted to believe a lot of it was context and understanding when
things began to really spiral out of control. You know, where
something was simply not apparent to me from the content offered
in the posts. It was like something was missing. Depth. Context.
Reasons. Consider…
Have
you ever run into a problem with people reacting to something
you didn’t intend as the message that was delivered by an e-mail
or text message or such that you sent? In many cases, it was probably
that something came across completely flat, without the subtleties
that a facial expression or a voice can convey. The recipient
didn’t connect with your desire of being serious, or that you
were joking, or there was some other missing piece. The result
was that they missed something you hoped to present, or misinterpreted
something you didn’t intend.
My
guess is that in several instances… perhaps most instances… this
is the problem with the observations I was being presented with,
meaning the context and understanding thought. People are posting
statements and comments and pictures and links that they see as
perfectly sensible, but if you reached out to them for clarification,
they might be a bit stunned to find out what you read or saw or
believed from what they put out there.
In
a way, it’s that old expression about the forest for the trees.
The
basic idea of the saying—can’t see the forest for the trees—means
that one particular item is distracting from the whole. A person
or group is missing the big picture as a result of focusing narrowly
on one detail.
Again,
let’s focus this back to what I’m getting from social media. I
keep seeing people posting things that don’t make sense. Too much
information seems to be missing. Either because what they are
fixated on doesn’t match up with the situation the way they seem
to think it does, or, what they presented is astonishingly far
out of line with what I usually understand to be that person’s
character and beliefs.
That
element of misunderstanding I noted where technology may have
created the disconnect is something I want to believe may be true.
In short, that the person doesn’t see what they have actually
delivered, because it isn’t fully or accurately presented.
You
know… it’s an oops in a sincerely no harm intended incident. In
fact, if you did give them a call, chances are that both of you
would quickly be laughing about it.
Unfortunately,
I’m afraid there may actually be more involved here. I’m sorry
to say that as some people have been repeating their messages
with other postings… in a few cases with messages and links to
stories that are completely fabricated, which a quick check of
the facts would reveal… and as a result I’m seeing stances and
more that are hard to ignore or write off as an oops.
And
that frightens me.
Not
really because of the people involved. We all have a right to
our opinions and beliefs. If they’re friends of mine… I do believe
I know them, and can speak with them if I feel moved to do so.
Instead, what’s concerning me is the overall atmosphere…
In
the past few weeks… months… years… we’ve begun seeing not the
best from people, but the worst. We’ve seen rage and hatred supported…
defended… encouraged. We’ve seen no accountability or responsibility
taken.
I
always want to approach any person I meet with an open hand and
a warm greeting. I want to offer people my respect and appreciation
from the very beginning. I want people to understand that I value
them, their opinions, and recognize their worth.
Warmth,
respect and understanding. Something each and every person deserves
equally and unapologetically.
Where
I’ve started to be quite concerned is that what I’ll categorize
as hatred is being promoted and celebrated. Divisiveness is being
applauded. People attacking what they perceive as the evils of
a tree without recognizing the beauty of the tree, and more significantly,
the beauty of the forest.
But
this being frightened is different than moments that might find
hiding and backing down an option. Those days have ended. I believe
that compassion and love, warmth and respect and understanding,
may just have an opportunity to overcome hatred and divisiveness.
In order to accomplish this however, we all need to approach people
with the intentions of lifting each other up to be better than
we were yesterday, from which we are going to find a healthy and
prosperous forest as a result. To get there though, we all need
to act.
So,
I challenge you, to hold out your hands to greet others, and to
cheer for positive change. Take the steps needed to become better,
and to find the good in those around you. Today, tomorrow, and
without end.
…and
now having taken the action of presenting this, I invite you
to just pause for a moment. Just stop. Think about what you’ve
seen going on around you and understand that all of us are living
in different circumstances, with different needs and challenges.
I hope you’ll find the wisdom and patience to treat others with
respect, and to view them with the same considerations that
you would hope to find applied in viewing you. Thank you.