By: Kenneth Stepp
Lost. I loved the series. Hated the ending. But, up until then. I was in. If you are unsure what I am talking about. Well. You missed a great show. My thoughts waver at times. Today, i took a walk down memory lane. I discovered that the two women that has had the most impact in my life in recent years, blocked me on Facebook. I have no clue why. My rebound relationship has been completely out of my life for quite a while. I didn’t “stalk” her page. My ex, who knows why. I was with her for over 26 years. Never figured out her decision making process. Only that she had “advisors”. All of which had an opinion about what she should decide. None of which had to live with the results of said decision. I’m guessing that is what happened in this case.
Facebook is a funny thing. Other social media is too. But none have the power of Facebook. I write often. I publish articles about this that and the other thing. Every time I do. I receive messages from people thinking I wrote about them. It’s a phenomenon I plan to study one day. Facebook, like no other is part of many of our daily lives. I have over 2700 Facebook Friends. I stay in trouble with them. There are a few things that I take personally. Even when I try not to. I am unfriended by someone every night. I am a thinker. I stand for things. And I do not tolerate bullies. Even online. I can become a bully when dealing with them. Usually. They are religious zealots. Fundamentalists of some sort. I consider them members of large cults personally. Mostly they claim to love, but only hate. This lights my fire. My feelings are often misunderstood. Or, simply ignored by dogmatic hatemongers that would rather be right, than be correct. Big difference.
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Getting back to “online friends”. These words should be loosely placed together. They really don’t belong. I have less friends than fingers on one hand. My right one. And my real friends understand why I said that. Don’t get me wrong. I care about many of my online friends. Many are actually people I have met offline. I have met about 500 of my online friends. I remember them and cherish meeting them in person. I actually try to set up opportunities to meet them. It works occasionally. Some, I actually have deep feelings for. I am an overthinker. So I have to process why quite often. I wonder if they do too.
The online world is a conundrum. It really is. It isn’t real you know. But it feels real. As I see people unfriend me because they disagree with the study I may be doing at the moment. I think back on the close times we had. One, a dentist. We were pretty tight at one time. Upon learning that I was studying under the scholars that actually put the new testament together and reached a different conclusion than his church. “Unfriend”. WWJD doesn’t apply in almost any case involving acceptance, tolerance, and loving. Judgment seems to work well though.
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Finding myself lost in this digital jungle. I am hoping to move past all this silliness. Although, some of it is my own. I can’t deny I have been guilty too. I get caught up in the hooplah myself. I am trying to be a better and more patient human. Trying to put online into perspective. When I figure it out, I will most assuredly write about it. It’s in my DNA. Until then. Let’s not be offended or hurt by digital freedom. Let’s just enjoy them and who we are.
Founder, American Angel Works
