Social media has become the town square of social distancers across the country. Many of us are having a great time reconnecting with loved ones, sharing jokes and stories, and embracing the “free time” that’s been afforded. Scrolling down our timelines has presented an outpouring of love, support, ideas and advice.
I’m excited about the sense of community that people are building. Teachers have been serving as resources for parents who are homeschooling their kids; people are looking out for their elderly neighbors and providing child care for those in need; and celebrities are streaming free concerts from their homes. There are some great things happening!
What I’m not excited about are the abundance of notifications from people going live without anything substantive to say. I’m over conspiracy theorists who have decided that everyone who rebuts them is void of intelligence. I’m not a fan of having to filter through “informational” articles that are irrelevant or come from untrustworthy sources. I’m even less of a fan of this country’s leaders lying and duping the American public to suit their own interests.
We’ve seen enough criticism, racism, experts without expertise, random social media challenges and Tik Tok videos from the 25+ crowd to last the rest of 2020.
And still, there’s hope. Our society is comprised of good people with good intentions and great hearts. People who help others and want to make their friends smile. People who understand that this time is tough for everyone, and they want others to be okay.
So I choose gratitude for those who put their personal interests aside to make sure the sick are cared for, buildings are sanitized, gas can be pumped and groceries can be purchased. I choose to believe that this time will leave us better than we began. I choose to focus on the future, the good and the hope.
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