I am the Antilike

Sometimes the blue and white social networking site is too much for me - for any of us really, but I can't make that call for anyone but me. Oh I can think about it, but at the end of the day (cliche reference, numero uno) what others put on their pages and/or walls, the amount of time spent on the blue and white, and the importance they choose to give it all, is up to them. On any given day, the blue and white is basically like a Sims game and it's up to the individual just how much they wanna participate, you know - just how real do you wanna get?

Trolling posts that beg for a response, pseudo-activist posts, guilt-ridden-trolling-pseudo-activist-posts/ploys - you know, the ones that command you to click/like/share/post if you love your country, your siblings, friends - anything and everything near and dear to you. Not doing any of that means...well, that you don't love any of them/that, because if you did, for the love of God, you'd take the time to like/share/post. I mean for f'k sake, I already know 92.1% of my blue and white friends won't share, but I'll be watching - and I know who will share this. Give me an f'ing break.

There are loads of this kind of thing on the blue and white. My own friend list is a list of more people than I would have originally thought I'd have, made up of relatives, friends, coworkers - past and present - some of which are actually friends, some are simply coworkers, friends of friends - read: mutual friends, and some people that either friended (a verb for the new millennium, ha!) me because they liked something I wrote in response to someone else's post, or they clicked on suggested friends...maybe even accidentally. Oops, aw what the hell?

I guess you could say there's something for everyone.

Takes all kinds of peeps to make the blue and white world go 'round, that's for sure - and Lord knows, they're all on there - "activists", non-activists, hyper-cutesy CareBear types, blue and white supremacists...you name it, it's all there waiting for someone to hit a like, comment or share button.

I gotta be honest and say that I've been guilty of some misuse of the blue and white a time or two myself - and my own view of the whole damn thing is a mash up of feelings like using it to stay in touch with people who have shared part of my life at times, people who are still part of my life, not being able to resist a sarcastic or smart ass comment, mild curiosity of what others might be up to, and moments that are a complete waste of time.

The blue and white just can't be very far off from being a one-stop shop for all of it. The likelihood of the blue and white linking up with sites like Amazon and the United States Postal service, UPS, FedEx and God only knows what else, seems very high. F'ing social media crack. Oh the first taste is free, but after that...KA-CHING.

Like? I guess when you have only three choices - Like * Comment * Share, and two of those actually require at least minimal action and/or thought, well, Like is your go to eh? Why the hell else would anyone in their right mind "Like" a status post that has someone saying they're sad about something like having to put a pet down, they lost their job, or a friend or relative passed away?? This is where the whole Sims reference comes in people - I mean, seriously. If you saw your neighbor walking toward you crying, and before you could even ask what was wrong, they tell you - while crying, that something bad/sad happened (you pick something), would you really give 'em a thumbs up (Like) and go on about your day? Well, I mean...I didn't know what to say, I sure as hell didn't wanna share it, so I LIKED it - my friend knows what I meant, right?

 For my own tastes, not everything I put up on my wall is any or all of the following: a) something that everyone on my friend list will get b) something that anyone/everyone on my friend list will like c) something that everyone on my friend list will even see. Can everyone see it? Sure, if they're looking.

I'm not gonna lie about it, I'm a moody blue and white status poster. Most of the time that applies to my own wall. Inside jokes? Sometimes. Offensive? Yep, that too...sometimes. Questionable? Maybe. Cryptic? Sure, every now and then. Here's the thing: It's my f'ing wall and I rather doubt I'm the only moody person on the blue and white. Don't like it? Take notice of the fact that I didn't put it on your wall. Also worth noting is that if something shows up in my news feed that someone puts up on their wall, I respect the fact that it's just that - their wall. I'm not going to see something posted by someone else on their wall and take that as an invitation for me to tell them why I might disagree with them - and tell them how wrong I think they are...now should they put it on my wall, that's another matter - and again, I'm moody.

I'm not naive enough to think I'll agree with anyone all the time, no matter how close I am to someone - nor do I expect them to agree with me all the time. The blue and white gettin' outta control people, for real. Quick! Find me an emoticon for that shit, puh-leeeeze. Save me the trouble of expressing myself for real. As one friend so astutely put it (Thank you, Keith) - I've never been swayed to another point of view by something I saw on Facebook, pretty sure no one else has either. All I'm saying is, I know what I'm thumbs up for - and what I'm not thumbs up for. I guess I'm the Antilike sometimes. F it. I've done my part and clicked "Like" enough times to end things like animal cruelty, political injustice, world hunger. All right there on the blue and white. Peace, good people, peace.

An Old Saying Lands

There's this old saying: you don't know what you've got until you lose it. Agreed. We often don't think we have much - until we lose it, or we have to start putting it in boxes and loading it on a truck to move. Either one of those scenarios will have you rethinking all that you have. From where I've been standing these last few weeks, I've been experiencing at least two examples of this old saying.

I had surgery for a detached retina a couple of weeks ago - and in an eye that I've only been able to see blurred vision out of my entire life. I've never known good vision in that eye, and that's been my normal. While my surgeon tells me that things look good, it's going to take time. Without going through all the details, let's just say that I want every bit of the vision back in my eye - even if it is blurred.

Then there's my dog, and I've struggled with this dog - there have been times I wished I didn't have him and seriously considered finding him another home. Last week I had to rush this 12 year old hound to the vet and I was given three possible scenarios, one of which was affordable. Thankfully, that one seems to be the one that worked out. My dog is back to his old tricks - and I'll take 'em. A week ago at this time, I thought I was going to have to make the decision that no pet owner wants to make. I tried to tell myself that I was at peace with it if that's how it had to be - but I knew better.

Six years ago, friends of friends brought this dog to me. Eight months after having to put my perfect Black Lab down. Was I ready for another dog? Was this the dog? I may never forget Bentley's previous owners driving up and him jumping out of the back of their station wagon. I stood there talking to the owners and then B walks up to me, sits down right up against me and looks up at me as if to say, "So...I'm gonna live with you now, right?"

Six years, a few struggles and the line I've repeated almost as many times as the hairs this hound has shed,(He's mostly more good than bad) and he's my dog. I told him last week if he'd just get better, he could do whatever he wanted - and by this point, I pretty much know what that is and I'm cool with it. He must have heard me - because he seems to be back in all his glory.

So there you have it - two things that could be considered questionable, but when faced with losing them, I've come to realize their importance. I'm grateful and back to work. The simple phrase, "Welcome back" has felt amazing to hear from owners, coworkers and customers. I'm still not 100% back to normal, and maybe my recovery isn't moving quite as quickly as the rest of this mess has moved, but I'm getting through it. The amount of people who have helped, or offered to help and in numerous ways, has grounded me - because there are many people who go through things much worse and have no one or nowhere to turn to.

This will be what it will - and one way or another, I'll be alright - I may not be allowed to literally look up, but figuratively, I'm looking way up. So here's to looking up, way up - and to the things I've taken for granted or thought I could do without. Surprising what's important after all. Stay grateful, peace.