Social media and the meaning of words...

This morning's illustration is the result of my daily search of the social media for the meaning of life --- as good a place as any to look. And a personally meaningful statement because I've launched millions of words in the course of a fairly long life, many of which still are out there arranged in various forms to return and bite me if and when I've not taken reasonable care in their use.

Those media so many of us prefer to express ourselves through are a little too easy to use --- it's possible to post and share immediately anything that pops into our pretty little heads or is found online, good and bad, and fits the mood we happen to be in at the time.

I'd never suggest that folks not speak their minds, but to be taken seriously and not dismissed as just another crank some thought is required. Breathe deeply before you post. Tell the truth. If you're borrowing someone else's truth, it's a simple matter these days to figure out if that quote you long to share actually was spoken or written by the person it was attributed to. If you're sharing satire, make sure it's identifiable by anyone who is reasonably bright.

If you're going to set yourself up as a representative, consider your responsibility. If you tell me how much you love Jesus, for example, and then share a string of verifiable lies or invective you really should have left Jesus out of the equation. Don't curse excessively --- to do so is a sign of a weak mind or mental illness. Don't be crude --- that identifies you as ignorant.

If you post material that is racist, homophobic, misogynous (even if the target is a political candidate), abusive or otherwise hurtful --- those words will be remembered long after anything that reflects the better side of your nature has been forgotten.