Unsocial Media I did the unthinkable today. The thing that I never thought I would do. I did a thing that will, while excluding the outside world, will make me feel more involved in it. I logged out of my Facebook account. I lost what felt like one hundred pounds within a matter of seconds. What started out as a place that was meant to make us feel less alone, has only alienated us from one another. The people that are standing in front us, the people that we share our dinner with, and the people that we share our bed with have taken a back seat to things that we can’t even touch. And we can’t get enough. We crave the attention and we have stumbled upon a need to make ourselves appear perfect in everyone else’s eyes. Everyone else’s except for our own. We can’t even have a nice dinner at a restaurant without checking in to see what our friends on social media are doing. We also want to be the person who is doing it better than they are, eating at a better restaurant than they are...

Thanks, Praise, and Other Misused Words It seems to me that the best recognition may be no recognition at all. It’s 2019 and it seems now, more than ever, that we are consumed with validation. It’s imperative to us that we be told that we have done an excellent job on a project. No matter how big, small, or vital the task, we look for praise at every turn. We aren’t fulfilled until we have gotten those magical words of affirmation. Of course, praise is always nice to hear, but the words, “great job” are being uttered far too often. They are spoken so much, in fact, that they have ceased to hold meaning. The workplace, our homes, sporting events, and schools are starting to suffer because of it. The workplace provides us with the ability to feed and take care of our families. Inside of that much expected paycheck lies the invisible words, “thank you” and “good job”. We are all guilty of wanting to be acknowledged for the work that we do at home. Whether we mow the yard, clean the...