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Straight out of the comment box.

The other day I was wanting to jot some thoughts down, but couldn’t determine what topic I wanted to chime in on. So, I did what any millennial does and asked you all what, if anything, you would like me to share. The following came straight from the responses on Instagram, and I appreciate everyone who took the time to respond. Don’t hesitate to let me know if there is an subject you’d like me to chime in on!

“How does someone maintain a positive attitude in today’s societal climate?”

As my college buddy Joey likes to reply with, WOOF. In the present moment, I can’t help but look to the incredible positivity surrounding the World Cup action (aside from the orange man meddling in things he has no business messing with, but that’s par for the course). Sometimes it really does take an outsider’s perspective to remind us how good we have it in comparison to others, and that perhaps some of the resolutions we long for aren’t too drastic of an ask if we can collaborate and reach across the aisle / border.

In addition, the intention I am seeing as of late from peers in their quest to be decent siblings, parents, and overall human beings… really gives me hope. I know our algorithms are showing us a bunch of absolute insanity right now, but you all really inspire me on a daily basis – please keep sharing your testimony, no matter how wacky or wild it may be. That being said… 2026 feels like one of those Mad Libs we used to fill out as kids: “Trump became President, there is a new lettuce diarrhea plague going around, and the movie theater is showing yet another sequel to Toy Story“

“Fatherhood / Parenting… how is it treating you right about now?”

Nearly every day has a combination of beautiful smiles, infectious laughter, irritating meltdowns, and trying to figure out where the smell of poop is coming from. I am grateful every day for my spouse who is the ultimate teammate in this tiring toddler phase, and we can’t help but smirk at each other when we see another milestone reached by any of our three blessings. The ability to focus on time with them while they’re this little is such a blessing, and I have to remind myself of that when we’re in the thick of the witching hour. My heart goes out to anyone who has to shoulder the majority (if not all) of the work when it comes to raising their kids, because it tends to feel like we barely get through some days without losing our minds. There are weeks where it feels like we have accomplished nothing outside of keeping everyone fed, cleaned up, and safe – but then again, that is a major feat in and of itself with 3 under the age of 5.

I continue to hear everyone complain about the schooling situation for their kiddos, and it really makes me want to keep them home for as long as possible if we could find a way to make it work. Granted, I was blessed that my parents were willing to give that a go when I was young, as it certainly asks a lot of you (albeit, in a very different way) when taking the educational component of your kids’ upbringing into your own hands. Time will only tell, our commute to the current half-day preschool situation isn’t the most ideal – but the community there is so loving and caring, we are going to soak it up while we can.

“How do you feel about our President (and corresponding agencies) at this point in the term?”

I still refuse to forgive the Democrats for not properly putting together a campaign worth a damn in 2024. For the majority of our country, which is proudly independent of the two circles of hell known as the main parties (though the media would never admit that) – we couldn’t believe that it was going to come down to those two men who have no business making decisions for our population. A quick swap of Harris for Biden didn’t help many feel better, because the media and major parties made sure that the third party alternatives didn’t get a voice on any main debate stage. How we are supposed to celebrate 250 years of our country, when so many legitimately capable voices continue to be silenced, is beyond me.

Congress has become the most expensive nursing home in the United States, and that needs to be remedied as soon as possible. McConnell and team are apparently pulling a weekend at Bernie’s, others are taking months off for their own mental health, yet all of them continue voting to deny the same care to their constituents.

That being said, I appreciated a lot of the sentiments being shared around the 4th of July – patriotism can absolutely be independent of political stances in these moments, because a lot of us wish things were different… but it doesn’t make us any less proud to be Americans, and for several it has motivated them to take action they may not have normally, such as running for local office. We currently have the pleasure of living in a time when misinformation can come across in our super cool tech as the cold hard truth, but this too shall pass, especially with the amount of people that have become fed up with the 1% having control in parts of government that they shouldn’t.

“The new job – like it so far? We miss you!”

It has been quite the shift in terms of my day-to-day, but the cigar guy in me has been so blessed with the chance to venture out a bit and see how other people have their humidors and lounges set up in the part of the country we call home. Hosting events, incentivizing sales, consulting those who wish to accomplish what we managed to do coming out of the pandemic… sharing the stories behind brands that I have enjoyed for quite some time… that part is pretty awesome. At first, I wondered if it would be a bit lonely in comparison to seeing so many of our beloved regulars at our concepts over the last 5 years… but ironically, similar to visiting Catholic churches around the world – these cigar shops tend to feel like home right away, even if it’s only my second visit and just getting to know their staff and regulars.

I definitely learned the hard way in Q2 about finding balance… I was determined to get in front of as many folks as I could with opportunities presented to do activations and celebrations all over. However, it became apparent in the middle of June that I had overbooked myself, and the challenge over the next couple months is balancing that out a little more (since that was the main intention behind making this kind of change). The plan is to utilize socials as efficiently as possible while keeping my screen time to a minimum (I’ve eliminated 2 hours a day from the total this year, which may be one of the biggest wins for me yet), letting you all know as best I can when something dope is happening near you so we can hang out for an afternoon!

That’s all for now, folks. Keep your heads up, chug that caffeine of choice, and take some small steps towards your goals today.

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That small town kind of feel.

If you browse the interwebs on your choice of medium nowadays, it can feel downright depressing. It would seem as if “the golden days” (cue 80’s/90’s nostalgic throwbacks) have all but completely vanished in this wave of artificial intelligence, social media filters, and the constant desire to be in front of a screen for a form of instant gratification.

Rewind to Saturday night. We have been blessed to move into a newer development for our first house purchase, and the neighborhood recently finished filling up with homeowners of every race, creed, career etc. to the point where everyone deemed it time to socialize and get to know each other – since most of us were moving in during the cold weather / holiday season. Of course, with how the world is presently, there could be ample reasons to come up with to exclude oneself from such a gathering – but where is the fun in that?

It won’t take much for anyone over the age of 30 to visualize this – elementary age kids racing around the cul-de-sac in a dozen different types of scooters, bicycles, you name it. Parents kicking back in folding chairs with their beverage of choice watching the sun set behind their kids’ laughter (naturally, our toddlers found the closest pile of dirt to play in). Cheers and delightful shouts echoing in our little valley as the self-identified pyro of the group started setting off fireworks once it got dark enough outside.

This scene felt like it was straight out of a somewhat blurry VHS home video from my childhood. The only time someone got on their phone was to skip the random song on a playlist (because naturally, technology has at least brought us the benefit of Bluetooth speakers to have outside), otherwise… actual conversations happening with every walk of life who, by pure chance, now live alongside each other in pursuit of raising families, establishing careers, and finding the ultimate work/life balance. A neighborhood that seems to truly emulate what most of us envision America to be – where every possible demographic can find common ground, even if only in the simple things (sharing recipes, pet sitting, offering to help with each other’s yardwork, you name it).

As the 4th approaches with everything that comes with it, I just figured I’d write down this train of thought as a hopeful reminder to folks that life isn’t as bleak as the media makes it out to be. There are unique opportunities outside our front doors each and every day – IF we are willing to do our part and be open to a new conversation, becoming vulnerable for a moment in hopes of forming a new friendship (or at least, someone in your corner when shit hits the fan at the next HOA meeting). You might be surprised at just how great that breath of fresh air will feel.

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You all keep asking for it…

I don’t know why I keep being asked for my opinions on various political / societal matters, but you get what you ask for.

When people mention a “trickle-down” effect nowadays, they clearly aren’t referring to decisions around money, but rather the impact attitudes at the federal level begin to influence those below them. I have never seen such divisiveness when it comes to local and state elections, and the fact that people stoop to these levels saddens me deeply. The content being put on TV and socials for us to consume regarding each candidate is downright crude, the quality memes – while humorous – do not make up for the fact that it all sucks, and the first Tuesday in November couldn’t come fast enough.

When I talk with people living outside the U.S., it becomes bluntly obvious that the reason for our current chaotic state is because we the people have been complacent and allowed those in power to not only remain in their cozy offices, but enabled them to control the markets and stumble into truly murky waters of what politicians should / shouldn’t do in their spare time (let alone what they do when they’re actually at work). The colonists who founded our country got pissed at the Brits for taxes ranging 5-7%… now go check your IRS paperwork from last year and see what you gave Uncle Sam. Why aren’t we having a modern day tea party reaction to what our government is doing to us?

Most of you should know by now that I despise both of the camps that control this nonsense equally. They are BOTH controlled by people with more money than they know what to do with, whose agendas could not look any more different from the average American. They trot out candidates in the name of democracy, only to then undermine the very idea of democracy throughout the process. Third-party efforts continue to be scrutinized by everyone (and sued to oblivion when they actually pose a threat), even though most are sincere efforts to try and point out the flaws of the two that the majority of our voting population blindly clings to every cycle. Do your neighbors a favor and change your party affiliation on record, because they will keep the status quo as long as 80% of the country identifies with the elephant or donkey. A single party needs just 5% of our nation’s support to guarantee federal funding for future cycles – surely we can agree that would be a good thing to have.

Each of us has love for our community, and there are a variety of ways to show that love – some volunteer their time, some donate funds they can spare, some do a generous combination of both… it all comes from a place deep down of wanting to see things get better for our city / state / country. Please keep that in mind when you jump to respond to the latest viral video about something a candidate may or may not have done 20 years ago (which at this point, how do we even tell if the stories are generated by AI or are actually real). No matter where you live in the United States, put your time and talents where your mouth is if you are truly fed up with the system – don’t sit back and expect a red or blue “wave” in an election cycle to fix anything. Scream the phrase Term Limits until you lose your voice, because without those in place no substantial change will ever take place.

Perhaps, just maybe, if we had servants of the people who returned to the task of caring for those who elect them (and having that desire to care for them be the main reason they run for office)… we would all feel a bit better about where we live than we currently do.

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Why do we expect perfection?

Sorry not sorry, but this is going to be an odd combination of thoughts that have kept me pre-occupied while driving the last couple weeks. The drama that people have created around Olympic opening ceremonies, the turmoil around the disaster of a political season this is, the continued post-pandemic chaos where people are still ridiculed for wearing masks in public… why are we constantly trying to be at odds with one another?

Are these issues well-founded… or is everyone just looking for a reason to be upset with each other? For crying out loud, the Olympic ceremonies haven’t been “normal” in decades. An artistic expression that some may find interesting, some may find beautiful, and some won’t understand – wander into any art gallery these days, and that’s exactly what you’ll find. Does it detract from the goal of celebrating these athletes and what they have worked so hard for? Certainly. However, none of us volunteered to serve on the Paris 2024 Planning Committee – so it really isn’t our place to make this kind of judgment… especially when our children are at risk of losing funding for the programs at school that could help them achieve similar extracurricular goals if they so chose to pursue them. Why don’t you direct your focus there instead?

The subject line implies my thought process over the last few days… why would anyone run for political office at this critical point of our society? Some journalist is going to pull up a story from college about how the candidate did a keg stand freshman year of college, and someone will read their spin on the story and decide something about it was offensive. Instead of focusing on the issues at hand and getting their message out to potentially undecided voters, the campaign has to focus the majority of their time on damage control with something that hasn’t impacted anyone’s lives (and won’t impact anyone) – ever.

We seem to have our minds made up that it is the responsibility of athletes, celebrities, political figures, and the like… to achieve perfection in whatever it is they do. Newsflash – we are human. It is in our nature to make mistakes (just ask Adam and Eve), and it is part of our DNA no matter how much you try to ignore that. We wonder why the pool of options of who to vote for is so abysmal, but we also TERRORIZE whoever steps up and volunteers. Look at how badly past Presidents and high-ranking officials have aged in the past 20 years – we as a society put them through hell and still expect smiling faces, perfect pronunciation, and immaculate decision-making whenever they are in public. It simply can’t happen, but we lean into major media outlets to tell us how we should feel about those mistakes and weird looks, and it creates more of a hellscape in social media AND our actual, very real daily lives when it doesn’t have to.

Children used to dream of becoming professional athletes, and often still do – but now have to decide if paparazzi following their every move is worth the contract they are in pursuit of. We see these insane numbers in the NBA / NFL / MLB, only to then calculate they get about 50% of the number after taxes and fees, have to pay an absurd amount for security to keep themselves and their families safe from the scrutiny (and to those of you sending death threats to people’s homes after they miss a field goal… please get yourself some help)… it makes no sense. Why would anyone volunteer to be the face of any major organization when the backlash has become this fierce? Self-harm and the taking of own lives continues to be a major issue in our society, but we get mocked by others when we try to suggest that pursuing mental health should be a priority for everyone (and that those resources need to be more readily available) – especially for those in precarious positions.

If you got this far in my rambling, I appreciate you. I know you tend to scroll past when I suggest that you vote anything other than Republican or Democrat… but if you continue to believe that one side is better than the other, we are going to be doing this same song and dance in four years – unless a civil war breaks out before then. There are SO MANY OTHER THINGS that deserve our time and attention: the fact that several people can’t get jobs right now because corporations have made the process inaccessible, the fact that there are neighbors of yours who will have to choose tonight between paying a past due bill or feeding their family, the fact that technological advances are crippling our ability to remain decent human beings with purpose… I can go on and on. Come grab a drink and smoke with me sometime on the porch and talk about it if you’d like – but please, stop wasting time spewing nonsense on platforms (keep in mind, this is also a reminder to myself) when we have so many other good things to be doing with our time and talents.

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This is 36.

I emotionally collapse when my daughter asks “do you HAVE to go to work today”? 

When I plug into my work, it brings me incredible amounts of joy – to see the fruits of labor immediately, unlike other industries or career paths. The ideal guest experience is the ultimate pursuit, and getting to craft concepts to that end since the pandemic has truly been a blessing.

I have never felt more politically homeless in my life. Every suggested option for local, state, or federal is brought to us from the depths of Hell.

I often get frustrated with myself for not going to the gym more often, and even more frustrated looking at the time spent during the week searching for times when I could have gone.

I’m reaching the point where alcohol doesn’t do my aching mind or body any favors – but there are other things out there that do, and I’m incredibly grateful for them.

There are days I still refresh the bank app hoping to see an unexpected large sum be deposited into the bank account – yet I have no idea where it would be coming from, because winning the lottery requires playing it more often.

I am very optimistic about the future of the Church, both here and abroad, largely due to the levels of vocations AND laity commitments to bettering our situations no matter what the circumstances may be.

I stood up the “wrong way” this morning and now my back will ache the rest of the day. Getting adjusted at the chiropractor is now considered the ultimate self-care.

I know I’m old when… I have no shirts to wear, because I hate taking the time to iron them – but remain pissed off at my favorite dry cleaners for nearly doubling their prices.

I also know I’m old when all the mainstream music being made today absolutely sucks, yet every playlist pre-2010 has nothing but bangers.

Playing music continues to be the ultimate outlet for stress, pain, joy, you name it – I’m so glad I have kept up with it, even if I don’t get to practice as often, and “practice” these days looks like accompanying Elizabeth as she sings lullabies to everyone.

Regardless of how gloomy our political and societal outlook is, I somehow continue to remain hopeful that with each smile and conversation… I can try to make the day a little bit better for each person I interact with. If we all aimed to do that with our actions and responses this week, I’m pretty confident the impact would be overwhelmingly noticeable.

My thoughts go all over the place, all day every day. Not sure I would have it any other way. This is 36.

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The people have spoken, but no one listens.

Citizens of the United States have a variety of thoughts and feelings regarding the midterm elections that just took place, but an exit poll question was shared on several news networks last week that no one seems to want to keep talking about.

Over SEVENTY PERCENT of voters said that their preference is to have NEITHER Biden or Trump as candidates in the 2024 election. That percentage implies a substantial development from both major groups – of course parties can be dissatisfied with certain candidates, but this matchup in 2020 was one of the most polarizing of our time. We have a very clear majority that want to move on from this madness, and yet the media (along with those in charge) continue to shove this narrative down our throats. These men are too old, too controversial, and (I’m a broken record here) should be at home with families instead of injecting more chaos into our government.

I actively studied politics in high school, and seriously considered majoring in Poly Sci when I was deciding where to go for college. While I would never dream of subjecting my family and friends to the extreme impact of running a campaign for a higher office in this day and age, I continue to be fascinated by the lack of educating oneself that remains the usual voter’s approach to preparing for each election cycle. Endless attacks on one’s personal character/political history because of a random Tweet or commercial you saw one day does not entitle you to a superior opinion, but rather puts you in the majority of those who do less than the bare minimum to learn about candidates before formally casting a ballot.

Let’s visit the notion of the “wave” that normally favors the party not holding the Oval Office very four years. For decades, the Republicans and Democrats have assumed that by attacking the other’s President early on in their term – it is only natural that the nation will follow their lead and empower them in the other government branches to seek a true balance of power. However, 2022 is showing a buck in that trend because of two primary factors: first, the candidates selected from both sides were not exactly what the public wanted to replace incumbents (cue celebrity TV doctors, and others who seem to think democracy is something to be taken from someone else) – and secondly, the MOST influential factor, is that the nation does NOT like the idea of a candidate needing to be “backed” by Trump as a means for getting elected into office over someone else.

We can go back and forth on this all day, as most of you know that I voted third-party in 2020 since my conscience would not allow me to cast a vote for either of these senile men to hold one of the most important positions in the world (and furthermore, I did the same thing in 2022 when it came to replacing our soon-to-be-vacant Senator spot in NC based on the options we were presented with). You can do your best to tell me my vote is “wasted” in this system, but the independents taking office (or forcing run-offs due to percentages not being reached) are implying quite the opposite. If more of you were willing to act on how you feel, the candidates being vetted and polled would be of higher quality and a better reflection of the platform you claim to represent… or you may finally see the light and put some effort into creating a healthier alternative.

Our nation may indeed be approaching its 250th birthday, but when it comes to the discussions had on nearly every platform – you would think that the US is struggling with puberty in its teenage years with acne popping up every other day no matter what kind of facial scrub we use. I hope that the surprising outcomes (I’m defining “surprising” by noting how many races went against polling data) challenge everyone to not merely call the election process into question – the fact that it takes us weeks to count votes amid lawsuits from both sides is just downright depressing – but to take time from scrolling through Reels and TikToks to dig more into what makes someone an ideal candidate to you personally. You might be surprised as to what you find, and I’ll be over here with a cigar to talk about it all when you do.

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The trials of being a decent person.

Friends, it’s been a while. I felt compelled to write to you today after seeing various reactions to the jury verdict that was reached this week. I put these words down out of love, out of hope for our future, and what we are capable of accomplishing together.

First and foremost, we are human beings. It is in our nature to make mistakes, and it is also in our nature to learn from them. What we have been witnessing over the past year are groups of our fellow brothers and sisters struggling and reaching out for help. Whether you or I have been actively involved in incidents that have led us to this point is somewhat irrelevant – I merely hope that we all recognize the opportunity at hand to play our part in making our communities safer for everyone who resides in them.

This week, a group of our peers met together and determined that what one man did to another was wrong and that justice needed to be rendered in the form of punishment. I know everyone wants to play conspiracy theorist and find ways to clickbait others into believing some particular aspect of this incident to draw more lines in the sand, but enough is enough. We owe it to ourselves as human beings first and foremost to look out for each other – and in this circumstance, it requires a look in the mirror to examine how we can conduct ourselves so that we don’t give the news outlets any more reasons to throw these types of once-in-a-lifetime circumstances in our faces once more.

Love your neighbor. Jesus made it so simple, yet we find it to be the most troubling part of our time on Earth. It DOES NOT MATTER if this neighbor has a drug problem, has a mental health problem, bullied you in the past, whatever it might have been – love. your. neighbor. We have been conditioned to believe that this is a “gray” area based off what others tell us, but it doesn’t change the fact that we need to put preconceived notions aside when it comes to treating our fellow humans with dignity and respect.

This is not a conservative, moderate, or liberal position. As a simple man, I implor you to walk the walk when it comes to taking up a cross and remembering that only those without sin cast the first stone. Let us encourage each other to look straight through to the heart of someone we interact with – no matter skin tone, how they vote, and what pains may have been caused in the past.

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Positivity in a toxic climate.

Joe, I’m sorry that everyone is treating you this way. You have lived a wonderful life, filled with blessings and tragedies, and deserve to be somewhere peaceful making the most of what time you have left on this earth with your closest family and friends. Your resolve to make the United States a better place is admirable (whether we agree on any of the ways you plan on accomplishing that or not) and should continue to be commended. It really does bother me that so many in our society resort to hurling insults about your family and the personal obstacles you’ve faced instead of spending more time learning about the vision you have for our country.

Donald, I’m sorry that you’re in this mess too. You seem intent on staying as active as you can, and involving a ton of your family in the process – while I’m sure many of them love and support you, it must take such a toll mentally and physically. As it is with every disaster society faces every few years, you didn’t ask for the opportunity to lead a country through a pandemic – any of us would age 10 years in the span of a single year when trying to do what you have been tasked with. While your demeanor may not resonate well with many in this country, there is something to be said about the strength you showcase in many areas of life as you try to find ways for our country to rebound from the disaster of COVID-19.

Jo, Howie, Brian, Brock, Gloria, Don, and even Kanye… I am SO so sorry that our country can not mature enough to handle dialogue between more than two parties. You have gone above and beyond to get your names to appear on ballots throughout the country, even with so many people putting you down and trying to convince you that the attempt is futile. While many of you embrace platforms that could be considered too radical for much of the country to embrace right now, you are to be commended for sticking your neck out and taking criticism from all sides to try and do the right thing. I sleep better at night knowing there are people like you out there taking it on the chin while climbing uphill in the battle to bring dignity and fairness back to our election process.

You see, it is incredibly easy to get along with people (and even possibly pay them a compliment) yet still disagree with much of their platform and values. While I may share a meme or two that poke fun at some candidates, I also reason with my conscience on a regular basis and get down on my knees to pray for all those running for office as much as I can remember to. By stark contrast, the amount of funds being spent on mailers, spam messages, and commercials spewing catchphrases and slander by Republicans and Democrats is downright horrific, and should motivate all of us to be better.

What does that look like though? For some, it will mean taking the couple weeks of voting to volunteer at local polling centers to help the senior citizens who have done so for decades and have already done their part. For others, it will take a very honest and open conversation with their loved ones about the consequences of trying to run for local office because they feel that it is their calling. Though it has always been looked upon as an honor to serve, the conversations and culture surrounding holding office in 2020 is so toxic that it is scaring away many people (like myself) from considering such a run.

For most of us, being better implies that we need to be more thoughtful about the content we put out for the world to see – be it on our Facebook, Twitter, or front lawn. While it becomes quite comical at times to fall into the black hole that Reddit threads and photoshopped candidate memes can be… we as citizens of this great nation have an incredible chance to show the world that the federal election outcome this year will not reflect what we as a country want as our future – and it will start with our careful selection at the city, county, and state levels. Do just as much research about the neighbors running for city council, and have a conversation with them if you get the opportunity. Each small step will propel us further to a political climate that will make us believe it once again when we sing that we “are proud to be an American”.

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There is no easy way to say this…

We are all idiots. All of us.

Falling repeatedly into the media traps with misleading headlines, click bait articles, things that sound promising but never turn out to be what we expected…

It does not have to be this way.

Sure, social media and the interwebs are our lifeblood at this point – it is the easiest way to communicate with family and friends, to announce new additions to the family or post pictures of various celebrations.

It is also the easiest way to put a target on your back by making a simple comment that seems harmless (or rather quite intentional) at the time. You become a villain to others just because of having an opinion that APPEARS to contrast with theirs, and it draws lines in the sand where they should never exist (seriously, when did our wellbeing start to depend on people unfriending/unfollowing us?).

For example: you use the phrase “all lives matter” because you genuinely believe those words in the context that you take them to be in. However, to someone reading them who has seen persecution in a way that you could never relate, they cannot fathom that to be true when their life experience has shown that to be the opposite. Saying that you have amazing friends, even best friends, who happen to be a different skin color (as I am certainly guilty of in the past) is not your get-out-of-the-argument-free card when it comes to this discussion.  

Another example: you claim to be “pro-life” in the sense that you believe life should be sacred and valued from conception to natural death. However, to someone who has seen horrendous tragedy in their lives and may not have been raised in the same moral code as you – it is outrageous to them that you would tout yourself as “more righteous” than them just because making those major decisions in life has come a lot more naturally for you. Moreover, if you use that phrase and follow it up with a statement that attacks those trying to immigrate to a new country or those trying to fight their way out of extreme poverty… you, by not showing the mercy and forgiveness bestowed on you by the Creator, are a hypocrite.

One more example: you claim to be “anti-marijuana” while trying to vote for farmer’s rights and supporting tobacco lobbyists in each state, when little did you know that it is becoming the one crop that can save their small businesses in the states where it has been legalized. While actively stating your opinion on this “drug” that has now been proven to tackle some of the most complicated health issues our existence has seen, you try to seek sympathy from others when someone close to you loses their addition battle to a pharmaceutical that could very well have been avoided. There is a better way through the madness, and it starts by admitting (and feeling) fault one way or another.

Without empathy and compassion on both sides of each topic in a conversation, the opportunity for progress between each other is non-existent… and for some of you/us, it might require admitting that the lack of compassion has really been a one-way street for quite some time. Resorting to terms that the media shoves down our throats rather than using our OWN words to describe our OWN feelings gets us nowhere.

Be better. I promise I am trying to do the same.

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Stop the nonsense.

You, the one shaming your friends for sharing information they came across online in one form or another. You, the one “threatening” to unfriend people you at least somewhat care about because something they posted may have inaccurate data to go along with it. EVERYONE IS FRUSTRATED. EVERYONE WANTS ANSWERS.

What is this righteous horse you sit on? Instead of making fun of others or calling them terms that accomplish nothing, why don’t you take the time to educate them with what you know? Not a single one of you has the solution, but is quick to the draw with a meme or snarky comment as someone is trying to get to the bottom of why we are in this mess. People are collapsing mentally all over the world, and all we can do is fight over when and how is “appropriate” to give everyone a source of income once again after volunteering their livelihoods as a means for limiting the spread of COVID-19.

It doesn’t matter if what they share sounds ludicrous – there are far more bizarre truths in this world that people are afraid to admit (perfect example: how the two party system is antiquated for our needs). It also shouldn’t matter to you if they didn’t take the time to thoroughly vet the credentials of the people in the interview they watched and shared, because you can’t pretend for two seconds that you do the same with everything you put on your personal profile. For crying out loud, this is simply some of society’s plea to have the right kind of conversation looking for the light at the end of the tunnel (and to hold those accountable for wrongdoing in the event there was any).

If one of your friends or family chooses to share content that you find misleading or inaccurate, do the responsible thing and educate/inform with valuable information that may let the conversation dive deeper. Belittling our neighbors is the MOST irresponsible thing we can be doing at this moment in time (and trust me, I remind myself all the time not to join in). Show respect and love in each interaction, and maybe – just maybe – we will have a chance at keeping hope for humanity alive in this mess.

End rant.