A few things to remember in sad times

It’ll be three years since I moved into this community at the end of this month. I’m proud to be a part of a community where I can go to a local gas station and have them treat me like part of the family. I can go to my mechanic and know they will be honest with what’s going on with my vehicle. I can go to a local business and know they will stand behind their product. I can go to our health unit and be treated like a person not a number. Those are things that happen in a community like ours and we are truly blessed.

I’m also blessed to have a job where I’m able to give back to this community. I made a deal with myself when I got into this business 10 years ago that I would use this job for good, not to use it to belittle, attack someone just to inflate my own  ego. My parents brought me up with this simple philosophy. “If you don’t like it done to you, don’t do it to someone else. Respect and you in turn will be respected, even if you don’t agree with the person.” A very good general manager taught me something a few months ago….before you react, step back and look at the whole picture.

Over the past few years social media has mushroomed. Technology has made it so we can snap a picture on our phone and within seconds, hundreds of people know what’s going on via Facebook/Twitter/Instagram…….you get the point.

Technology has now become something that breeds gossip and hurt. We post our thoughts and opinions and our “I heard” or our “I just got a text” on our Facebook page with no consideration to what impact that may have on someone else. People feel their opinions are right and everyone needs to hear them so they justify social media as a way to get their point across. However I do feel sometimes our intentions may mean well, but step back and think about things before you post. Would you like to hear about a death or arrest or some bad news though Facebook? Would you like rumours and gossip posted about you, so your family and friends can read it and feel worse?

Our community has had several unnecessary and accidental deaths in the past several months. We need to be respectful and sensitive to what we post on social media. A good friend of mine did an interview with the news this past week about social media and made this comment. “Once it’s out there, you can’t take it back” Things we post can come back to haunt us.

Social media can be used for good, but like anything, bad comes with it too. I encourage everyone to use this simple philosophy when posting something on social media “How would I feel if this were said about me? Would I want my family and friends finding out I had something tragic happen to me via social media? Would I want people speculating things about me that are hurtful and in turn my loved ones get hurt?” If you are honest with yourself….your answer will be no.

Respect/Love and Kindness and even TACT goes a LONG way my friend. ( I apologise for any spelling mistakes)

Cheers

Shika