What if I told you that it is okay to be personable on the internet?
What if I told you that it is okay to be nice? Period.

I am not sure when, but we got here – “The Land of Me”.

We now exist in a world where only “I” matter. My thoughts. My way. This is evident by the way we drive on the road. In Jamaica, we complain about the indiscipline of taxi drivers. We are cut off as if we don’t have anywhere to go. Reckless driving seems to be the norm. It is also evident in the way we speak to each other.  Have you checked the comments section of a post lately? It’s like stepping on a landmine.

Allow me to zoom in on that for a moment. We post something with so much conviction, but it gets challenged. Sometimes, we might be right. Sometimes we may be wrong. When we cannot get our way, we throw “temper tantrums” – by dropping bombs on other entities. We quarrel with random strangers over virtually nothing. We dump hurricane-type arrogance on others. We act as if only our views and opinions are correct. We stray from the subject matter at hand and attack another person’s character. This is alarming.

When did we get so mean? Do we feel better about ourselves when we blow up and treat others like trash?

It is okay to have conflicting views on issues in the world. In fact, it is okay to have different opinions. However, the way we disagree is certainly not worthy of emulating. We treat persons as if they don’t matter by the way we propagate our views. Our use of demeaning language suggests that we are better than the other party. News flash – they do matter.

“The Land of Me” does not have all the answers. It does not grow trees with an infinite wealth of knowledge and wisdom. It does not have it all together. It is not self-sufficient. We all need each other. We all make mistakes. We all are imperfect. We all are human. We need to show each other grace in our conversations. Life is hard enough as it is.

Can I challenge us to think of others? We need to start thinking of others as we think of ourselves. How would you feel if others started to treat you like trash? Truth must always be spoken, but this must be done in love. When individuals challenge our views, we should be respectful. Listen in humility and respond in kindness, even if we disagree with what others say. We are all trying to figure life out. Do better by being better. Let’s start with our views of each other. Let’s allow this to flow throughout our interactions. Eventually, if we don’t treat persons as if they are valued, we will live a lonely life in the “land of me”.

^{Photo by Anna Might (IG:@annamighttakepics)}