(version 2.0 of this piece, 1.0 being lost to this world.)
I am thankful for those around me, be it physically, geographically, or digitally. I am thankful we help each other up when down. I am thankful we share the desire for learning from each other as well as sometimes entertaining each other.
I am also thankful that we have different opinions on issues. If that were not the case that would be, to me, boring and lead to people staying in comfort zones. One of the plagues on our current society is we have some folks who listen to FOX news and listen to Rush and have facebook friends who share their opinions. And we have folks who listen to NPR and MSNBC and have their good liberal friends. And that's nice and comforting. But it's not challenging.
I try hard to hear and listen to voices of all political spectrum and I hope you all do too.. I'm sure there are some who wonder why I'm facebook friends with this or that person because we clash on this or that matter but I think I can learn a lot from people of different viewpoints. Shutting out of conversations people of diffent viewpoints results in the frustrating situation where one group of people has one set of "facts" and the other(s) have other sets of "facts" and when all viewpoints cant even start from the same set of facts.
It sometimes makes me long for the day when there were just a few networks and people were starting from the same place.
But I digress. (And I'm telling you version 1.0 of this piece was so much eloquent and concise.)
I am thankful while some of us share some interests others have completely different interests. I think that's great. And healthy. I'll admit I don't quite understand the pull of pintrest and snapchat but i'm sure others don't quite understand my love of backgammon or my involvement with Black Lives Matter.
I am thankful we can agree on the important matters such as that there ARE more important topics than Starbucks cups and imagined slights. I'm talking instead of examples of goodness like the lady who played Wheel of Fortune the other day and picked the letters x and z - i'll post a link below - and inspiration and injustices (i'm not going to link to just one but if you watch my facebook wall you see a litany of them.)
I am thankful we can see the value of listening to each other. I figured out after an excellent sermon by my church minister, Rev. Meg Barnhouse, on the topic of how liberals can better listen to conservatives and vice versa, what is missing from online debates and why some would say they are pointless, and one reason i'm trying to have less of the ones that could lead to vitriol...
Namely, listening. I've always been a big proponent of listening to others before you speak and listening deeply. While I pride myself as a good listener, especially important as a journalist, the person reading and posting with me at facebook can't see i'm listening deeply and that regardless of how rude or mean the response may be i'm listening to that too before I post, following the always good advice of taking several deep breaths, if not a longer break, before responding to an emotional riposte with one in return.
If the person you are communicating with can't tell you are thinking about what they are saying they are going to be less likely to stop and listen and think themselves.
Plus you can't tell tone on facebook... or texting. My favorite poster lately is the one that says "texting is a brilliant way to miscommunicate how you feel, and misinterpret what other people mean." I think that goes true for facebook... and emails.. heck, anything digital. I try to always double check I understand where a person's coming from before responding. But I'm sure I've posted and written my share of "miscommunications" too.
So lets end by saying specific and clear: I am thankful we (the collective we) can see the value of truly meaningful things like chocolate and compliments. And if you don't like one or both then just send them my way and i'll accept them for you.
Thanks, y'all.
Two related pieces, the wheel of fortune story and a piece I wrote on the value and importance of listening.
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