This summer was wild. I had plans, and then life happened.

The one thing I did do was what I chose not to do. I took a social media break. To me, that meant no FB, no Instagram, No X… you get the picture. So from June 1 to September 1, I was free! Free from the negativity, propaganda, influencers, advertisements, and fictional stories. I was on a SM BREAK! I highly recommend it for your mental health, just not now.

I did not crawl under a rock. I read NPR, AP, BBC, and other news outlets. I gathered quite a library of information to ponder. I even organized it into categories- many, many categories. I reviewed what I was reading and researched when I had questions. I read books. The book /poem Odyssey is better than the movie. Just sayin’. I stayed informed in a responsible and deliberate way. 

And so, when my summer ended, I jumped back on the SM wagon.  I’m back, baby.

On September 1, I reactivated my FB and Instagram accounts and began scrolling. Within minutes, I was bored, disappointed, and embarrassed that I had ever spent any of my time reading stories that compelled me to click links to read the rest, only to be inundated with pop-up ads. So annoying!

I do appreciate the recipes, even though I rarely cook anymore, but fall is coming. Cooking is more appetizing when it isn’t 115′ degrees outside.

I caught up on family and friends’ events, sort of. And I watched some political points of view. And I thought… I have points of view. Not that anyone cares.

And I thought, I count too; I care. So, I decided to share my voice. Not really MY voice, not a big fan of my voice, but I do know how to write a little and edit. And so it has begun.

And you, like me, might consider taking a break from all the information, the negativity, the bad-mouthing, the cruel and unusual behavior, and the dogma. We see it on our street corners, TV commercials, and social media sites. Unfortunately, so much that we are not consciously paying attention to pops up in our minds, especially at night, when it’s time to sleep. Advil PM, anyone?   So, if you are considering a break, I don’t blame you. However, I must profess that this is not the time to do so. 

The next three months are vital for every American to pay attention. To learn from different points of view. To understand why some believe one thing, and others believe the opposite. It is important to remember to treat everyone with dignity and respect. It may be a difficult assignment, but life is all about learning. Unfortunately, most of us learn through mistakes. Don’t make the mistake of sticking your head in the sand. Not now; our families, our children, our freedoms demand our attention.

Do you know that ostriches do not stick their heads in the sand? They don’t. They lay their eggs in the ground and constantly check on their unborn chicks to make sure they are safe and secure. The mother ostrich lays over the egg nest during the day; the father ostrich returns in the evening to lay over the nest at night. Equal responsibility. What a concept. I digress. They watch out for their future ostrich family by observing which predators might be lurking, waiting for an opportunity.

As Buddha said, “If you deeply observe, everything is your teacher.”

And for those who say, “I’m not into politics; I don’t understand politics. Politics? I’m too busy to deal with that! Politics makes me feel icky! This reasoning usually reveals two things: either they are uninformed (by choice) or they speak from a place of privilege. Ignorance may be bliss, but it’s a privilege none of us can afford anymore. To believe you can live unaffected by political changes and global injustices is naive and a luxury. A luxury 98% of Americans can’t afford. 

This last summer was wild for me. But this fall? This fall will be feral for all of us. It is important that we talk, understand, learn, and grow… together. It is important that we use our voices, our words, and our ears to be understood and to understand. 

It is vital that we ALL consider the other’s point of view. You might just discover you made a mistake and LEARN something scary or unacceptable about yourself. 

”When we realize that the fact that we can become accustomed to anything, however disgusting at first, makes it necessary to examine carefully everything we have become accustomed to.” -George Bernard Shaw.

See? Just one of the hundreds of passages I have read, categorized, and pondered.

What to ponder today? What divides us: our political views or our ethical beliefs?