What can be said about mothers? They literally gave us life. No words I can create here will mean as much as the gift of life. They're our first soulmates, our first protectors. They put our well being ahead of their own. They cook for us. They bandage our wounds. They order pizza and wings for the whole block. They keep an eye on us out the window as we play outside with our friends. They wash our clothes, sign our permission slips, and teach us right from wrong. And when we get older, they tell us to pursue our dreams...and are sitting right in the front row to cheer us on when we do. But for some of us, the time here on earth with our beloved moms was cut too short. They were taken from us in their primes, long before we were ready to let them go.
For those people, Mother's Day (even more than most others) is bittersweet. Don't get me wrong, every day is hard, but it's those holidays and anniversaries that really remind us that we can't hug our moms and thank them for all they've done. Watching everyone else treat their moms to dinner and post loving dedications on Facebook makes us really miss their daily impact on our lives. We think about the things that they never got to see us do. Like having their mothers in attendance for graduation. Or introducing their moms to very important friends/partners in their lives. Or dancing with their moms at their wedding. Or watching their moms hold their grandchildren for the first time. We know you're proud of us, but we just want to hear you say it once more.
We go to dial your phone number to tell you about an exciting new job we just got, but it just rings. We knock on your door late at night to get advice about a fight we had with our significant other, but you're not home anymore. We come over to invite you out for Mother's Day dinner, but you aren't sitting in your spot. Your spot's just...empty. Today, just like all days, we miss you. We miss the simple way you'd put us on the right track in life. We miss the smell of your cooking. We miss the way you'd host parties, and keep the family together. We miss the way you'd make all our troubles disappear, by singing "You Are My Sunshine" to us. We miss all those little millions of moments where you made us feel special.
But we know you're still with us. It may not be the same, but you're still with us. You're with us when we breathe out after a stressful day. You're with us when your song pops on the radio, or your favorite movie comes on TV. You're with us in a peaceful breeze, or a day at the beach, or a baby's laugh. And you're not just our angel, guarding beside us...you're inside everything that we do. Every bit of wisdom that we have, that came from you. Every time we make a new friend, or show off our sense of humor, that came from you. Every time we cook a meal, or multitask five things at once, that came from you. All the important decisions that we're about to make, that will shape the rest of our lives...that came from you.
So here on Mother's Day, we try to push aside the hurt, and conjure up all the fond memories that we love about you. We keep you close to our hearts, and know that inside every tear is something about you that we cherish. Please, be extra kind to us today, for our souls are in pain, but our hearts are full of love. If you have your mother with you on her special day, I beg you to hold her tightly. Tell her how much you appreciate everything she's done, and know how lucky you are. Mothers in Heaven, we thank you. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for making us who we've become, and who we will be. Thanks for being our moms, and now our angels. Please hold the gates of Heaven wide open for us. We'll leave an empty chair in the front row, because we know you're still sitting there, cheering us on in everything we do...
-Jason Burke
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Five Things NOT To Put On Social Media
Social media can be a wonderful...or a dangerous thing. There are many benefits to having Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, etc. It's a wonderful way to touch base with tons of people all at once. You can keep up with the lives of people you wouldn't see often, and reconnect with friends and family who you haven't heard from in years. You can let people know with a simple 'like' or a funny meme that you're thinking of them. You can spread awareness about your work/projects, or ask for recommendations to things you're unsure of. But for as many convenient and informative features as social media grants us, there are just as many negative counterparts. Here is a list of five things you DON'T want to put on social media.
5. Geo-tags
Today's world has become accessible at the end of our fingertips. We can Skype or Facetime with a friend who's halfway across the world. But as cool as technology has gotten, it has also given us TOO much exposure. 2017 is a dangerous time period across the globe. With more robberies, murders, kidnappings etc than ever, we've got to be safe about who has access to what information. Geo-tagging is all about checking into certain places, letting people know where you're eating/drinking/shopping/etc. When you do this in abundance, you're inviting random people to have access to your location constantly. Depending on your settings, you could be allowing complete strangers the option of following you around. While that may sound a bit like an extreme alarmist statement, there are cases of this overexposure leading to dangerous encounters. If you're out eating or shopping with a friend, do you really need to let your 575 Facebook friends know the exact address you're at? A simple "out to eat with ___" would suffice if your meal really needs publicity.
4. Over Complaining
There are archetypes of people out there that social media users cannot stand. One of the biggest offenders on these lists are the constant complainers. It's one thing to use Facebook as a pulpit to air your grievances after a hard day, or to ask opinions on a given situation that upsets you, but it's another to post consecutive negative status updates every 6 hours. Sympathy or wise words can sometimes quell a restless spirit, but after a while, you must take action. Everyone deserves the right to a bad day, a bad week, or even a bad month. But the way to heal these wounds is through changing your approach or finding a solution. Continually posting angry blurbs isn't going to heal any wounds. All it's going to do is make people lose sympathy and eventually mute you from their lists. Everyone has it tough, and a course of action will always do more than words on a website.
3. Comparing
This is one of the biggest evils of social media. Human nature seems to dictate that we always feel worse about our own lives when comparing them to the lives of our peers. If a person is going through a breakup, and they find themselves scrolling social media to see all the other happy couples out there, they're naturally going to get depressed. Even when we're happy at times, we log in to see someone else getting a big job or a big house faster than us, and it makes us feel inadequate. Nothing good ever comes from putting yourself on the same plane as someone else. There is always someone better off than us, as well as someone worse off than us. Everyone's journey and time frames are different, and it doesn't make anyone better or worse than another. This one goes for both parties. The poster should be proud of themselves if things are going well, but to realize that constantly boasting one's successes could make people feel bitter or resentful, or start to question that person. That may be a problem that certain personalities (not all) may find tough to deal with. The scroller should realize that focusing on themselves and not trying to compete with others is the only way to feel content and secure.
2. Trolling
Please, don't be this person. Posting for opinions can be fun. Respectfully disagreeing is natural, and it's what makes us individuals. Even starting a lively, informative debate to listen/share ideas is a wonderful function of social media that could expand our way of thinking/relating to people. But there are certain personalities out there who live for trolling. Trolling is the idea that someone says something simply to put down another person or tries to start a fight simply because they're bored. While avoiding trolls may be impossible with today's internet, you don't have to engage them. If there's someone on your list who only responds to start fights and negative dialogue, block or delete them. They're adding nothing positive to your life, and they aren't really your friends to begin with. These people can't be persuaded with or spoken to rationally. They are an extension of cyber-bullies who are looking for cheap thrills off of your reaction. You'll be able to post with much less stress without having to worry about these lifeless drones sitting there waiting to rebut your views.
1. Relationship Drama
This is the most common sin I've found across all of social media. The second that one of these couples gets into a fight, they take to the internet to complain about how abused they've been to a bunch of strangers. They post vigorously on a daily basis about how they deserve better, and how they are unappreciated. They likely go from listed as "In A Relationship" to "Single" to "It's Complicated" on a weekly basis, and nobody takes them seriously. Then they go and complain that everyone takes their relationship as a joke, or that everyone is too involved in their situation. These are also the people who tag their lover in every other post about how perfect they are, after they complained in public about them yesterday. Now obviously I'm not talking about the proper, functioning couples out there. This one applies to the immature attention seekers who want to feel validated anytime something doesn't go their way. One of the main rules of a good relationship is that it doesn't need to be plastered on social media. I'm not saying you can't ask for a vague opinion on an issue or proudly post a picture of your significant other. I'm saying that when you publicly blast your partner or go to these extreme highs and lows, it's going to give others the right to a public opinion. It makes both partners look silly, and makes the relationship look even worse. If you have an issue with your partner, go talk to them personally and work through it like rational adults.
So, there are my five tips to a healthier, happier social media experience. I hope these ideas have made your scrolling just a bit easier today. Thank you as always, my valued readers...now I'm going to go post the link to this on social media. Be sure and share it with your friends! :)
-Jason Burke
5. Geo-tags
Today's world has become accessible at the end of our fingertips. We can Skype or Facetime with a friend who's halfway across the world. But as cool as technology has gotten, it has also given us TOO much exposure. 2017 is a dangerous time period across the globe. With more robberies, murders, kidnappings etc than ever, we've got to be safe about who has access to what information. Geo-tagging is all about checking into certain places, letting people know where you're eating/drinking/shopping/etc. When you do this in abundance, you're inviting random people to have access to your location constantly. Depending on your settings, you could be allowing complete strangers the option of following you around. While that may sound a bit like an extreme alarmist statement, there are cases of this overexposure leading to dangerous encounters. If you're out eating or shopping with a friend, do you really need to let your 575 Facebook friends know the exact address you're at? A simple "out to eat with ___" would suffice if your meal really needs publicity.
4. Over Complaining
There are archetypes of people out there that social media users cannot stand. One of the biggest offenders on these lists are the constant complainers. It's one thing to use Facebook as a pulpit to air your grievances after a hard day, or to ask opinions on a given situation that upsets you, but it's another to post consecutive negative status updates every 6 hours. Sympathy or wise words can sometimes quell a restless spirit, but after a while, you must take action. Everyone deserves the right to a bad day, a bad week, or even a bad month. But the way to heal these wounds is through changing your approach or finding a solution. Continually posting angry blurbs isn't going to heal any wounds. All it's going to do is make people lose sympathy and eventually mute you from their lists. Everyone has it tough, and a course of action will always do more than words on a website.
3. Comparing
This is one of the biggest evils of social media. Human nature seems to dictate that we always feel worse about our own lives when comparing them to the lives of our peers. If a person is going through a breakup, and they find themselves scrolling social media to see all the other happy couples out there, they're naturally going to get depressed. Even when we're happy at times, we log in to see someone else getting a big job or a big house faster than us, and it makes us feel inadequate. Nothing good ever comes from putting yourself on the same plane as someone else. There is always someone better off than us, as well as someone worse off than us. Everyone's journey and time frames are different, and it doesn't make anyone better or worse than another. This one goes for both parties. The poster should be proud of themselves if things are going well, but to realize that constantly boasting one's successes could make people feel bitter or resentful, or start to question that person. That may be a problem that certain personalities (not all) may find tough to deal with. The scroller should realize that focusing on themselves and not trying to compete with others is the only way to feel content and secure.
2. Trolling
Please, don't be this person. Posting for opinions can be fun. Respectfully disagreeing is natural, and it's what makes us individuals. Even starting a lively, informative debate to listen/share ideas is a wonderful function of social media that could expand our way of thinking/relating to people. But there are certain personalities out there who live for trolling. Trolling is the idea that someone says something simply to put down another person or tries to start a fight simply because they're bored. While avoiding trolls may be impossible with today's internet, you don't have to engage them. If there's someone on your list who only responds to start fights and negative dialogue, block or delete them. They're adding nothing positive to your life, and they aren't really your friends to begin with. These people can't be persuaded with or spoken to rationally. They are an extension of cyber-bullies who are looking for cheap thrills off of your reaction. You'll be able to post with much less stress without having to worry about these lifeless drones sitting there waiting to rebut your views.
1. Relationship Drama
This is the most common sin I've found across all of social media. The second that one of these couples gets into a fight, they take to the internet to complain about how abused they've been to a bunch of strangers. They post vigorously on a daily basis about how they deserve better, and how they are unappreciated. They likely go from listed as "In A Relationship" to "Single" to "It's Complicated" on a weekly basis, and nobody takes them seriously. Then they go and complain that everyone takes their relationship as a joke, or that everyone is too involved in their situation. These are also the people who tag their lover in every other post about how perfect they are, after they complained in public about them yesterday. Now obviously I'm not talking about the proper, functioning couples out there. This one applies to the immature attention seekers who want to feel validated anytime something doesn't go their way. One of the main rules of a good relationship is that it doesn't need to be plastered on social media. I'm not saying you can't ask for a vague opinion on an issue or proudly post a picture of your significant other. I'm saying that when you publicly blast your partner or go to these extreme highs and lows, it's going to give others the right to a public opinion. It makes both partners look silly, and makes the relationship look even worse. If you have an issue with your partner, go talk to them personally and work through it like rational adults.
So, there are my five tips to a healthier, happier social media experience. I hope these ideas have made your scrolling just a bit easier today. Thank you as always, my valued readers...now I'm going to go post the link to this on social media. Be sure and share it with your friends! :)
-Jason Burke
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