Social Media: A Tool or a Weapon?

Social media has allowed us all to connect and be heard in ways that we never imagined a few years ago. Social media has turned the “nobody “into a “somebody” overnight. It is a wonderful tool to disseminate information and learn about other people, living around us. I would venture to say that social media has united us more than any other method, in history. People are speaking their minds and letting their inner thoughts and beliefs out for the world to access and respond to. As with all good things, there are always some negative components to it.

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Today is Easter Sunday. Easter, like Christmas, is one of the biggest holidays celebrated in the world. Although Christmas is a religious holiday, the atmosphere surrounding Easter, tend to be more overtly religious. When I think of Christmas, my mind quickly goes to presents, caroling, trees, and great food. Easter, on the other hand, generates images of “Christ” on a cross and people in church, wearing their Easter outfits. I am not Christian. I do not celebrate Easter and I do not ascribe to the images of Christ that come to mind when I think of Easter. Despite my religious beliefs, I know that Easter is a very religious time for many.

I awoke early this morning and could not seem to get back to sleep. As usual, I decided to play around on my phone. I checked my Twitter, played some games, read some Gossip apps and finally settled upon Facebook. Facebook is always an interesting read. It’s my spot to be nosey. Everyone seemed to have Easter on their minds. They were preparing for services and family dinners. Many of my Facebook friends, who never attend church or speak of religion, were on Facebook commenting about Easter, going to church, and Christ. I know some of my friends will need to get directions to their church because they have not been since last Easter. Despite all of that, they are feeling compelled to go to church services today and to comment on the importance of Easter to them. 

As I am perusing the comments, I immediately notice a comment from someone.

“so we ok with bunnies laying eggs....where do they do that at. is this even in the bible??....easter is a pagan holiday.”

The comment had thirty-six comments and many likes attached to it. I decided to read a little further. Basically, it offended many others and they decided to comment. As a result, there were these long drawn out written debates on the topic. The individual who posted this comment is notorious for putting comments up on holidays. Every holiday, I see mean comments like this written by this individual. She is not alone. I have seen numerous comments that attack others beliefs and practices. They end up with long threads and people being hurt and offended.

I am a huge fan of freedom of speech and I know we have the right to speak out minds but I often wonder when human compassion kicks in. Where is the tolerance? What would provoke an individual to offend someone else’s religious holiday for no reason? What ever happened to the saying “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say nothing at all?” 

 The truth is that the world is full of people who are different. The comment posted on Facebook was educational, in that it allowed for honest dialogue. I am a huge fan of dialogue. I just cannot help but to wonder if being mean and offensive are the ways in which to communicate effectively with others. If your aim is to tell people the “truth” as you see it, personal attacks on something sacred to them is not the way to go.

My little rant on here is not going to stop people from using social media platforms to further divide us as a human race. It will continue to go on. Perhaps the way in which it is perceived and digested can change. I have never heard of someone celebrating Easter bringing harm to others. From a non-Christian to the rest of the world, I use my blog to say “Happy Easter”. 

Rising GAS Prices: It takes a Village

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Turn on any local news station or open up a newspaper and a mention of gas prices can be found. Gas prices affect every household in America. Live in an area where public transportation options are not as reliable and convenient, and gas prices are even more important.

Charlotte, North Carolina is the largest city in the state of North Carolina. Charlotte has public transportation options that serve many of its citizens. However, Charlotte is not New York or Los Angeles; driving is pretty much a necessity in Charlotte and surrounding areas.

In my recent search for employment, the rising cost of gas has become far more important than it was a few weeks ago. I reside so close to my previous job, which made for very little visits to the pump. Today, my concern for gas is amplified. I have noticed that gas prices are inconsistent in many parts of the Charlotte area.  With a gas station on almost every major intersection, the obvious difference in pricing is alarming.

There are predictions that the price of gas is going to continue to rise. Residents are looking for ways to lower the cost of gas. Car-pooling and public transportation are two great options. With the prices being so different across the city, the sharing of gas prices among citizens would also help residents to save on gas. 

It is time for residents to use the power of social networking and the Internet to work together in finding the best gas prices in the city. There are websites dedicated to reporting gas prices. A great source for locating prices in the Charlotte area and also reporting is http://www.charlottegasprices.com/. This site provides up to date gas pricing and even allows users to post prices they have discovered.

Make LEMONADE!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week has been exceptionally difficult for me. Based upon my previous posts, it’s not a secret that I am now among the unemployed. The majority of my week was spent filling out resumes, sending emails, and checking the voicemails on my phones for potential employers.  I can say that this week, I really came to believe that I am among the impatient. I am not oblivious to the world that I reside in. I am well aware of the millions of unemployed in the world. I even have friends and family that are included in the numbers. I can easily recount many conversations that I had with friends in family, where I called myself empathizing with their circumstances. I have said things like” it can happen to any of us” or “it can happen to any of us. “The truth is that I think I was being sincere but I also think I was just saying what I thought was appropriate.  Deep down I was thanking my lucky stars that I was not in their shoes.  It’s like that feeling that many of us get when we see a tragedy on television.  We truly feel sympathy for those people enduring the tragic event but we are real happy that we are not among them. I say it’s out of sight, out of mind thinking. Despite my personal connection, actually being included in the numbers is not easy for me. My current unemployed status has made the world of unemployment more realistic than I would like to admit. It’s depressing and stressful.  Most of all, its eye-opening.

I decided to do a little research on the unemployment in the areas in which I am avidly seeking employment. I live in Charlotte NC but I am very very close to the South Carolina border, which makes the option of working in South Carolina a very realistic one for me. I was specifically wondering how bad unemployment in my area was, in comparison to the rest of the United States. Looking at the chart, I am not sure if my idea to search was a great one. Another week of feeling down and hopeless was not my plans. According to the data, unemployment in North Carolina and South Carolina in March of 2011 surpassed the national unemployment rate. Based on my past week, the data doesn’t seem to lie. I think I have applied for every possible job within my search. On a positive note, the data does show that unemployment has declined on the national level. This fact alone does provide a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

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With all of the negative data and lack of responses from my job searching, I had to have a candid conversation with myself. It is so very easy to allow oneself to get discouraged. It’s actually easier to let it all get me down instead of being optimistic and positive about the future. Despite all of the negative outcomes that I can undergo, due to my unemployment status, I have decided to find the positive among it all. For the last three to four months, my hubby and I made the conscious decision to change our diets. Our changes have been successful. The one difficult part for me was integrating regular exercise into my life. After a long day at work, it was really hard to establish physical activity into my life as a constant.  Being completely honest, I hate working out. I just do not see the fun in it. It is the hardest part to my goal of weight loss and better overall health. I would always use my job as my reason for skipping a scheduled workout. I am the queen of excuses and procrastination. Since my firing, I have seen my diet suffer. I have not really eaten much that is unhealthy. I have found that I stay up late and sometimes sleep in. I skip meals and have fallen off my schedule. I am negating my progress. I will be honest, I have let it get me down but I must turn it around.  So, I am making a pledge.  Instead of drowning in my own sorrow, I am going to change my approach.  The physical exercise that I need in order to achieve my health goals will be implemented. I will also make sure to get on track with my food choices. I will continue to put out resumes and applications. Most important, my circumstance will not rule my attitude and outlook on life. I am not the first, nor the last to be unemployed. It's past time for me to end my pity party.

Candid Conversations????

Candid Conversations first came to me a few weeks ago. I was at a company wide meeting. It was the typical boring meetings, where every department presents and discusses their plans. I sat in the large room doodling on my pad and clocking the minutes until it was over. Occasionally, a speaker would speak who had the gift for public speaking and made a great presentation. During one of those rare presentations, I heard a speaker state that people rarely have candid conversations. It hit me suddenly, candid conversations. I knew I had to use it so I wrote it down with no real plans of when or how I would use it. When trying to decide on what I would blog about and a title, I knew it was time.

Candid Conversations for me are all of the things that come into my mind and my world. I am not ashamed to admit that I have candid conversations with myself. This blog gives me a chance to pour my thoughts out for all to read and respond to. I openly welcome readers to respond so that we may engage in candid conversations with one another.