Thursday, August 16, 2018

 

As I Read Through Social Media Comments I Start To Feel Bad

By: Donovan Baldwin

Sometimes as I read through comments on social media sites, I start to feel bad. So many other people are posting comments that offer deep and important thoughts on life, business, politics, religion, the economy... etc.

Here I sit, chatting about climbing trees and swimming in Pensacola Bay as a boy.

I could get a feeling of value if I was an "entertainer", someone who could make people laugh and forget their troubles... or a Will Rogers kind of guy who poked humorous holes in the conceits of the rich, famous, and powerful.

Bothered me for a while.

Then, I came to realize something. Perhaps there was a niche, a need, for someone who thought the simple things were important enough to talk about, think about. Someone who thought that thoughts did not always have to start at the highest levels and tackle the toughest problems... answering the most burning questions... or even the simple little day to day ones.

So, that's who I am... old guy who still enjoys climbing trees (in his mind), walking the shore by the bay, feeling the wind, listening to the birds, and wondering what's for dinner.

I figure THAT'S important too... just being human... being A human.

Plenty of people taking on the tough questions, and plenty of entertainers... BUT, there's only ONE of me!

Labels: , , , , , ,


Thursday, January 18, 2018

 

My Goal Is NOT To Change You

By: Donovan Baldwin

When I first put my comments here, on Blogger and social media, independent comments as opposed to comments on other comments, I was not sure what my goal was.

I wanted to write, and I wanted someone to read what I wrote, but, I had no larger goal than that.

Then, "that" happened. I HAD readers, and I was faced with a new choice.

Should I use these platforms to exercise mind control over my readers, amuse and amaze them, or, with blinding words and brilliant wit, offer them advice on how to live their lives (the big temptation)?

After some thought (I won't tell you how much or how little), I decided that I like you pretty much the way you are, and don't really have any major desire to change you.

Yet, that "advice" thing still nudged at the back of my mind, and my ego. So, after some thought, I decided to mainly talk about me and my thoughts, my musings, errant and otherwise, and out loud. I could tell you what I was feeling, thinking, remembering, and, if you liked it, you could respond or move on.

What I have found is that a lot of what I say resonates...not with everyone or every time, but, one human telling a story about themselves reminds another of a similar story, or provokes a thought about life or self.

Kind of like neighbors at the back fence chatting.

I like that.

I like hearing from friends.

Join me?

Labels: , , , , , , ,


Monday, January 08, 2018

 

I'm My Own Best Friend?

By: Donovan Baldwin

I sometimes get "inspiration" for these few words as thoughts come tumbling from a fumbling mind, by reading through some of the comments on social media feeds, such as at LinkedIn.

A few days ago, I saw one from Denise W.

It started off, "I'm literally my own best friend..."

It goes on with some tongue-in-cheek remarks in that vein.

Her little post got me to thinking, though, about how much we SHOULD be our own best friend, yet sometimes we become our worst critic, or, even our own worst enemy.

I wonder why that happens?

You would think that we would be talking to ourselves as we would to a best friend. We should be encouraging and praising and advising ourselves as we would someone we cared deeply about.

I don't really think it's so much that we DON'T care about ourselves, our feelings, hopes, and dreams.

I think, just musing here, that we hear so much "No", and "You can't do that...", that we expect someone's supposed to say it. So, instead of looking for reasons why we can, should, ought to, whatever; love, dance, smile, succeed...we listen for the expected voice that tells us we can't...just because we expect it to be there.

Surely there's someone somewhere who would tell us to sing, to dance, to be happy, to risk a kiss.

If they aren't handy, maybe we need to step up, be our own best friend, and say some good and happy words to ourselves.

Labels: , , , , ,


Saturday, December 30, 2017

 

Katherine Hot Russian And Me

By: Donovan Baldwin

You know, I really should reply to "Katherine Hot Russian".

NOTE: The picture is NOT Katherine. It's a stock photo of an unknown, but attractive, young lady.

After all, Katherine MUST like me a lot since she emails me every day.

I'm sure she's a sweet lady just seeking companionship, but, for some reason, my email program puts all her messages in my "spam" folder.

Hmmm. I'll have to look into that.

Katherine, apparently a hot Russian, must be a nice girl to be so interested in an old guy like me. Of course, being on the internet, I've got no way of knowing if she's really Russian, hot, or even "she".

That's a problem with a lot of the internet, you can often only make decisions based on what someone tells you...especially about themselves. On social media, what someone tells you about themselves is all you usually have to go on.

Oh, you CAN track some to verifiable websites and legitimate businesses. Still, social media as a whole is a crap shoot.

Yet, even knowing this, so many people read social media posts, and pass them on as if they were gospel truth.

Once a false thought gets "legs" on the internet, there can be no stopping it. Even retractions don't work, because it will assume a life of its own, and, for many, the retractions will just be proof that someone is trying to cover up the truth.

I don't think "Katherine Hot Russian" is trying to cover up much, but, I suspect she, like many others, is not telling the truth, either.

This mMay require further investigation. Hmmm.

Labels: , , , , ,


Thursday, November 23, 2017

 

Sharing A Picture Of Me

By: Donovan Baldwin

When we meet people on social media, it can be difficult to actually, and honestly, know and understand them.

The few words and thoughts that show up here, and other places online, are not only few, but chosen.

That's why, sometimes, I like to reference things I have done or experienced.

That gives a more complete picture of "me" to you. Sure, like many of us, I like to talk about myself, but, I enjoy sharing who I am with all of you readers...well, most, anyway.

That's also why I sometimes write about playing with the dog, having a cold, hanging curtains, or having a flat tire.

I have noticed that many of my readers often add little snippets of "you".

Not just your thoughts or responses, but, something you have done or experienced yourself. I like that. Makes my online "contact" more of a person.

An added note is that I am retired, not hiring for anything, so, many people eventually figure out that they can be themselves with me and not have to put on some professional veneer.

Of course, since my timeline or feed, on many social media sites, is pretty much accessible by anybody who wants to look, I would suggest keeping the really weird stuff private.

C'mon. Fess up. You've got a little "weird" in ya. Wouldn't be reading my stuff if you didn't...and still have to walk the dog, hang curtains, wash the car, etc.

"Normal" stuff.

Keeps us real.

Labels: , , , ,


Friday, October 27, 2017

 

Notes On The Sharing Of News

By: Donovan Baldwin

When we read, or listen to, the "news" it's easy to believe the world is going to Hell in a handbasket.

What the "news" leaves out, or fails to report on, is the millions of kind and wonderful and exciting things that happen every day.

Social media has a failing.

Anybody who wants to say anything can, and, often when they do, as the "news" does, they tell us all the horrible and nasty things about us humans.

Still, among and around all that, there's all the good news, the exciting developments, the progress, the kindnesses and good will that the "ordinary people" on social media sites care about, share, and express.

I hear of people getting burned out from all the negativity on Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media sites, and, I get it. I have lived with a news junkie, and I got to where I just didn't want to hear of one more senseless act of violence or evil.

Finally, I decided to look at the world around me, and within myself, with a different goal in mind.

There's plenty of people telling us about the bad. So, sometimes it takes a little mindful looking and thinking to find the good, but, as I look and think, I find it.

Humans have done terrible things for millennia, and that's nothing to be proud of.

Yet, we've also managed to reach for stars, save lives, and, in places, made the world better. I'm good with that sort of thought, and news.

Labels: , , , , , ,


Tuesday, October 24, 2017

 

Thoughts On The Meaning Of Words

By: Donovan Baldwin

I think that most of us agree that words have meanings. The problem I have seen over my seven-plus decades on this Earth is that we tend to assign more meaning to certain words, nouns and verbs, and words that agree with our thoughts.

I don't know how many times I have seen big blow-ups over some statement, that was quoted over and over, but, without all the words that came with it, "what if", "could it be", "I suppose it's possible", and, "maybe", just to name a few.

People wonder, people speculate, people theorize possibilities (It's sometimes called "thinking", even "thinking out loud"...hmmmm.)

Anyway, they often do this, we all do this, without really meaning that the speculation whidh follows the modifying phrase, "maybe", and so on, be taken as our final and absolute say-so on any given subject.

Headlines, whether in the "news", or printed on images, are short to grab the reader's attention, and provoke interest. They seldom are meant to instruct or define.

So, if you see something on a social media site, or in the news, that sounds like a headline...it probably is...and, it's goal is NOT to inform, but, to hook your interest.

However, if you want to know the facts behind the headline, you'll have to do some "due diligence" and find out what actually was said or intended.

Do this a few times, and you might be surprised how many headlines don't really tell the truth.

Labels: , , , , , ,


This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?