Caught in The Flood... © Rolly A. Chabot

Welcome 

As you visit you will find we have more fresh snow that arrived overnight. Again waking to a heavy fog and heavy frost making windshields on vehicles freeze solid. Enter the trusty snow scraper and brush which I had hoped I could hide in my truck again for another season. Nothing quite like winter here in Canada. A common saying is if you do not like the weather well wait 5 minutes and see what you think.

Find a comfortable chair and make yourself at home. Hugs are always available...

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Social Media 

Call me a redneck if you like but I have been around social media long enough to see this familiar platform slowly shift into everyday life for most of us. Some posts are positive with lovely sunrises and sunsets, pictures of pets and children being kids. It has been a wonderful place to meet people, a few have become close friends and some I have met in person. 

The downside is it has become a cesspool of false news, a place to express negative comments on most things in life which affect us on a daily basis. Government is a favourite topic and sadly a place where people are attacked for their beliefs by total strangers. These people hide in their little anonymous boxes and strike like a venomous snake attacking people from all sides. They are very similar to the school yard bully and in some cases have caused people great pain and suffering. 

On the lighter side the first time for me that the lightbulb of reality came on was when a lady whom had friended me wrote a few posts in the middle of the night about how sick her cat was. The pictures showed this bedraggled looking cat. My heart went out to the poor animal and the thought was it had been poisoned. My reality to the thoughtless post came the following morning when she had posted a picture of the hairball the cat had vomited during the night... I mean really. 

Don't get me wrong I have posted my share of negetive comments but never ones to hurt another, they are just my views. A drop in the bucket compared to the 2.3 billion other users. So really what does my opinion count in a place where everyone has a voice. I so love the people who post positive comments and pictures as it shows there is hope.

Paridiam Shift    

We have all seen society move through change. We have become an instant society and we expect everything to be right now. For me I have the bonus of having lightening fast internet with a download speed of 400mps. Trust me it is fast, I can download a full length movie in some cases in less than 30 seconds. Do I need that sort of speed... No... but I have it as part of my total package by my provider with the full range of services into a bundle for around the 100 dollar range a month. So I have far more speed than I need but it is fast.

I come from a background where if you wanted a cup of coffee or tea you had to collect the water, collect the wood and wait till it boiled. Today I find myself tapping at the countertop as I wait for the microwave to reheat things. 

My point I suppose is that I can reach out to anywhere in the world and say hello by text, phone or instant messaging or email. In the case of Facebook it is there immediately. Popularity is based on likes maybe not so much on agreement of what you are attempting to say. 

​Sadly also coming along with all of this is we are so quick to get caught up with the negative. Chances are if you remain positive it can become a place where you can vent the negative. Soon you begin to look at the world wit a different view and it is not healthy to your personal well being. 

Stepping Back is Positive 

For those who follow me I recently posted I was taking a step back and I could be reached through personal messaging. This past few weeks I have noticed the change in myself, mainly the fact is there is freedom in looking at things in a different light again. 

I had to laugh the other day I ran across an ad that came across my feed. It was an advertisement addressing the severe withdrawals of leaving Facebook behind. This company if you can call it a company offered a 10 week course on how to withdraw from Facebook. The kicker was the course sold for 165 dollars US. Are you kidding me...??? I mean really... 

I can assure you I have far better use for my money than that sort of insecurity... Wow..! 

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Freedom 

Nothing clears my head faster than a scene lie this taken many years ago. Man and his dog fishing takes precedence over any negative thokught. This was taken at 1 in the morning in the land of the midnight sun. Now that awakens my spirit in search of peace and quiet. 

In closing I think it important we sort through what brings us joy and offers hope for the next day. Is it a good plan to stand in a canoe with 100 feet of water below you without a life jacket... of course not but I was at home in this sort of environment.

​I think ever so important we all step back occasionally and think of what God wants us to enjoy. For some Facebook is so very important, for me I can live without it as it so quickly can rob us of our joy.

Hugs are free here and if you like share your thoughts on how social media impacts your life... maybe it is time we all look at that which can change the person we want to be.... 

​© Rolly A. Chabot