Somehow I’ve avoided waxing philosophical for the past couple of blogs. However, now I’m suffering from wax buildup, so here are a couple of quick observations that hopefully, if you embrace them, just might improve your quality of life. Even just a little.
PRAYERS
For the most part, I’d have to say the majority of people I hang around have some kind of religious background and most live spiritual lives. Now, I’m not talking flame-throwing, trying-to-convert you types. Just people who have included God in their existence down here on earth.
It’s due to that exposure that, from the way outside, I’ve made this observation. When one of life’s negatives interferes with their lives–cancer, injuries, loss of job, divorce, whatever–they’re quick to request prayers for the person afflicted.
My personal beliefs support that suggestion. However, a couple of things are going on out there. For one, people have started saying it about everything and everyone. At times, it reaches the level of someone saying “Bless you” after a sneeze. Are they really suggesting a person be blessed because of a nose irritation? Or, is it just something we consider a polite and a caring thing to do, and do it instinctively, rather than with thought?
Now, rest assured, I believe in the power of prayer. I’m big on positive energy, whether to God or just being positive in your thinking. (This is where I’ll highly recommend watching or reading, “The Secret”. It’s currently available for free on both Amazon Prime and Netflix, if you’re a subscriber) And, if someone requests prayers and you pray, I believe it helps. What has me wondering is how many people actually pray for the requested purpose, or do they just give it lip service because it’s the polite and caring thing to do?
Another theory on that point is that when you request prayers, you’re actually saying, “Will you help me worry about _______?” and if that’s what you end up doing, then you’re actually creating negative energy towards that circumstance.
Maybe. Maybe not. Just something that emerged when I dwelled on the topic too long.
OK, I need to say this. Somewhere along the line, Facebook has evolved from a cool social platform for college students to a news source for anyone with political leanings. Oh my God, people, Facebook is nothing more than a cork bulletin board on the Internet where people stick things up for themselves. IT’S NOT A NEWS SOURCE.
To post things on Facebook, all you need is an account. If you want to post things that are half-truths or flat-out lies, all you need is an account. If you want to add credibility to your outrageous liberties of truth, buy a website with a name like ithastobetrue.com or notalie.com. (For the record, you can buy “It has to be true dot com”, but “Not a lie dot com” is taken)
Facebook was meant to be a way for you to show how much your kids have grown, what you look like these days, to get caught up with old classmates enough that you don’t have to attend the reunion. You know, that kind of stuff. You may have heard about the Russian bots and trolls that saturated Facebook during our last election. You’ve noticed how negative the election ads have been getting over the past couple of decades. Unfortunately, because of our busy lives and deciding that accuracy is a luxury we can’t afford, negative works. So, if you’re posting with an agenda, you’re putting things out there to lure in the sheep that want to believe what you’re saying is true.
A couple of weeks ago, pictures were shown of immigrant kids, covered in foil in cages and we were appalled that President Trump’s administration would allow such things to happen. Only problem–those pictures were taken in 2014 during the Obama administration. That was the fine print retraction.
I had a relative post something completely false about President Trump and I cited an article in the New York Times that had disproved it. After promoting this on his Facebook page, I called him out on it and said that it was false, here’s the link. He told that it didn’t matter, it’s the kind of thing he would do.
Important footnote–I am far from a Trump supporter. It’s my hope that someone–anyone–with character will step forward and get the country to unite again in the very near future. But currently, both sides are being as divisive as I’m ever seen in my six decades on this earth and we really need to right this ship.
But back to the subject at hand.
If it helps, Facebook is no more a reliable news source than a community bulletin board. Anyone can post stuff. You don’t need authority or accuracy. If you think aliens are trying to steal your thoughts, you can put it up there. Some people will read it and feel bad for you. Others will believe you and warn others, while the majority of us will quietly unfriend you and hope you don’t notice.
And so, I’m becoming quite an expert on one of Facebook’s special features and I encourage you to give it a try.
I’ve never been a fan of the Snooze Bar on clock radios. As we used to call it in morning radio, it’s “the devil’s tool.” If you set an alarm, get up when it goes off. If you want sleep later, decide that the night before and set it later. We’re adults here. That being said, I highly encourage you to utilize the Snooze Button on Facebook. The next time a friend or relative says something stupid or untrue, you could encounter them and get into a debate online. Or, just “snooze” them for 30 days and enjoy an entire month free of them and their negativity. 31 days from now, you may be reminded why you snoozed them and do it again, but at least you have that option.
Time for me to emerge from the philosophy tent and back out into the joke-writing world. Here’s hoping that you found something useful in these ramblings and, if not, simply crumble up your screen and place it in the garbage can.
Tim Hunter
Tim Hunter's Wacky Blog 