Almost here (on Aug. 9): Book Lovers Day. Okay, okay. Some say it’s every Aug. 9 and others not until Nov. 7. I say, Why not celebrate it both days? And any day?
Nobody knows how this day got started. But if you love books, who cares? It’s an excuse to curl up with a good book (or an educational tome or trashy novel) and enjoy stepping into another world. It’s a chance to tell yourself and others that you’re really doing something while pretty much doing nothing, a chance to seek out a comfy chair or section of grass under a shade tree or a swaying hammock and settle in. If you fall asleep, well, no matter. The whole idea is to relax, anyway.
Compassion in Social Media
People are frustrated by virus restrictions and political warfare. We’re so tied up in knots that some things that we’d normally take in stride become a major offense against us. Like someone not picking up after their dog or giving a handout to a homeless person or having an opinion contrary to our own. So we express it on social media. And the tirades against us for what we’ve said pour into our “comments” section. Which adds to our feelings of unfairness and being personally attacked. In the process, we’ve missed an opportunity to build up the human family, failed to protect its members. Instead, we can try to understand what the poster is feeling, especially since we’re feeling just as frustrated and powerless. We can respond not with attacks but with “I’m sorry this is happening to you” or “I disagree but understand your position.” These are difficult times, times when our responses need to be compassionate and empathetic, not angry, vicious, and dismissive.