The Social Media Dare

I’m really struggling with writing posts these days and contemplating what to do about it.

You see, I’m having difficulty not bringing up what’s happening in society. I feel as if it’s crumbling around us. I’m not supposed to have an opinion about it either, otherwise I could be ousted from society.

I don’t want to alienate anyone, because I love this blogging community. I’m going to tread lightly and write about how societal changes are affecting my psyche.

When I read news sites, social media or watch television news, it appears they are telling me how to think, feel and perceive. This is not a good thing for my personality type, because it feels like a dare to me.

Oh brother, here she goes…

In my post Why I’m a Freak Reason #2, I wrote about how I’ve always bucked the trends. I’ve never wanted to follow the crowd. I wanted to be me. Even as a teenager, I didn’t succumb to peer pressure. Although, like everyone else, I want to be loved, but not at the expense of losing my own identity in order to blend in with what everyone else is doing.

As a result, when someone tells me I have to do something, I consider it a dare. Tell me what to do, will you? I don’t think so. I’m going to do what I want to do.

How long is this soapbox going to last?

I follow my heart, not the crowd. I try to do the right thing for my life, not the convenient thing, or the thing that will help me fit in, but the right thing for me. This is not to suggest anyone else should do what I’m doing. I’m of the old philosophy … to each his own.

During my infertility struggle, I met a loving group of women online. We supported each other as we moved on to accept a childfree lifestyle after infertility.

Wait a minute. Are you sayin’ I’m adopted?

One of those very wise women said something that really summed up what we had gone through. She said that in her desperation to have children, if the doctor would’ve told her, “The only way you can become pregnant with your husband’s spawn, is if we cut off your left arm and reattach it to your head,” she actually would’ve considered it!

She realized how silly it sounded and knew that just because something can be done doesn’t mean it should.

When we feel really desperate to fit in, we feel incomplete or insecure, that is not an indication that we should follow the rest of the world to be “complete.” What we should be doing is going inward to clear up the misconceptions about ourselves.

Okay, little Miss Intellect, are you almost off your high horse yet?

Because, “if you’re not enough without it, you’ll never be enough with it.” ~ John Candy

I hope you’re finished so can we go for a walk now.

I have values that don’t fit into the world today. One of my values is to always use reason, logic and common sense in balance with my heart. When communication outlets and cult of personalities act as if they’re speaking with authority. When they tell me to perceive the world without using reason, logic and common sense . . . it will not happen.

I understand that the world is not just black and white, but relativism only goes so far. Two plus two will always equal four.

I won’t be mislead. As far as I’m concerned, social media and news outlets are daring me to stick to my principles of reason, logic and common sense.

I take them up on that challenge!

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