Perspective June 23rd 2013

Not too long ago, I had the displeasure of running into someone who felt the need to make fun of a bit of harmless Star Trek fun out there in Facebook land.... He said that it was lame and stupid and we needed to get a sense of perspective. I don't particularly care if this person likes Star Trek or not, or really any of my other interests. What I do care about is the bad manners and utter disdain that was demonstrated by one of my 'friends'. Nobody forced him to make a comment, nobody solicited his opinion. We certainly do have freedom of speech, and Facebook and similar social networks certainly represent an open mic across the country and the world. But the fact is, if all you are doing is spreading negativity and putting others down, you are not making the world a better place. You aren't helping. There are serious issues out there, and websites like Facebook are ideal for getting important word out to many people. But it is also important to understand and respect the fact that some people aren't always 'on' politics. Awkward as this sounds, important issues are certainly important, but sometimes people need to be able to turn off the important and have some fun. And beating up on them for that really doesn't do anyone any good. This guy, and others like him not only love to talk politics (which admittedly is important), but will also denigrate anything else. Now far be it from me to tell people what they should or shouldn't be talking about, but the anger and vitriol has been turned up so loud that it is threatening to drown out everything else. Folks, I can guarantee you that if you occasionally let a trivial post go without injecting politics into it, or leave a harmless picture alone, despite its lack of perspective, the sky will not fall. The country will survive you skipping a target on Facebook.

What I'm really trying to get at is this. There are very serious issues out there that affect us all on a daily basis, and we need to be vigilant and pay attention and even spread the word. But we weren't put here to be serious all the time. A life without laughter, without light or fun or play is quite simply a waste. Aside from the proven health benefits of smiling and laughing, the fact is that life can be serious and dreary enough without trying to rain on someone's parade. And for that matter, it is important for everyone to find time in the day, even if it's just a half hour or twenty minutes to stop and relax. File away the bills, turn off the depressing news, walk away from the politics and find some way to treat yourself. And don't ever begrudge someone else doing the same thing. This isn't about Star Trek, or Facebook. It's about having fun in life and allowing others to.