Stuff We As a Society Don’t Understand

If nothing else, the COVID-19 Pandemic has given us all plenty to talk about, at a distance of course, sometimes.  Although, there is a bunch we as a society don’t understand.  I am no expert, but, not to brag, I am coming up on my third book launch in August.  And my entire career was launched five years ago by telling my kids they weren’t that great and writing 31 blog posts on stuff I wish you’d quit saying.

This has been a mixed bag.  For one thing, I have found I too am not that great, and for another, Trolls.  If you don’t understand what a Troll is, allow me to tell you, because that, I understand. If nothing else, maybe you will come to the conclusion, “OH MY GOSH!  I AM A TROLL!”   A Troll is a person that reads random posts or EVERYTHING on Social Media and then adds their unsolicited opinion in an effort to either:

1. Appear wise

2. Be a jerk.

I have been around just long enough to know that I shouldn’t read the comments, but like the rest of society, there are some things I just don’t understand.  And I am a hard study.   Sometimes, I have to go in my closet and cry.  Don’t worry, I am fine.  However, I am a real girl, and snark doesn’t negate feelings.

If a real girl decides to write something, throwing caution to the wind and hits publish, she makes her “word” bed. Now, she must sleep in said bed, with one eye open forevermore.

That said, I don’t get told off as often anymore.

When I do it is almost always by someone who met with one line of commonality within a post, that had nothing to do with the entirety of the post and took offense.  Society doesn’t seem to read all the way to the bottom. They seem to enjoy being offended, or the Trolls outnumber the common folks.

There are some wordsmiths who are entirely fearless.  I had the privilege of reading an advance copy of friend and agency sister,  Susannah B. Lewis’ new book “How Can I Offend You Today?” for endorsement.  I will endorse anything Susannah says because she is an extraordinary storyteller, hilarious, and the bravest woman I know.

I will also confess while reading it, I ducked on several occasions on her behalf.

Also, I want to be Susannah when I grow up.

The other thing a good portion of society doesn’t understand is that we are being watched.  Our data is being collected.  And I have had the problematic job of explaining how Google ads work to a number of my readers.  At least twice a week I hear from a reader that starts with:

“Hi Jami, I am a huge fan… but I am so offended by the ads you run on your blog.”

Often this is an easy but awkward response.  Those are Google ads and they are based on your search history.  But sometimes, like this week, I just don’t respond.  I feel like there is no appropriate response to, “I am never reading anything you write again!  You say you love Jesus and then an ad on your blog is advertising girl on girl dating sites!  You should be ashamed of yourself!  Using the facade of the risen Lord to promote the homosexual agenda is an abomination!”  

Truly, I cannot babysit all my readers, minus one as of this week.

And I have been misunderstood before.  But before you tell me off you might want to check yourself and make sure you aren’t telling on you, or someone in your household.  I am not using Jesus for financial gain and Google knows what you like… and all your secrets.  Now, so do I.

I consider Jesus a good friend.  He blessed me with six “not so great” children, which affords me plenty of material.  And, He lets me see things others might miss.

The Lord does provide.

For instance, the guy at the grocery store this week,  unloading his haul of toilet paper into his truck.  Others walked right past him.  But I saw him.  He had a surgical mask on.  That isn’t an unusual sighting these days.  But this rocket scientist had a slit cut in his mask, where a lit cigarette dangled.

Also, I meant no offense to rocket scientists.

I really wanted to stop and ask him a few things.  First, it was a paper mask, I feel like this was a face fire hazard.  Second,  you know, the mask is to cover the mouth to prevent the spread of the virus?  So when you cut a hole in the front of it so you can nurse on that cigarette, the germs are not contained.  Finally, I kind of feel like you have bigger health issues looming than the Coronavirus.

I have spied a lot of folks that don’t understand the face mask concept, I think this guy is their leader. And I will admit I haven’t worn a mask. I understand some might see this as irresponsible.  But I am nothing if not honest.  You have to understand I am fancy, shallow, and vain.  It seems to be a waste of a good face to cover all this up.

And yes, I understand, that will be offensive.

But! I am not a troll.  So I didn’t ask or offer my opinion to face fire hazard guy.  I just saved the information in my writer’s brain, thanked the Jesus I am not using for my financial gain for providing more content, and went inside to get milk and bread… and more toilet paper.

This is where I witnessed more things we as a society don’t understand, life basics. There are simple things, like the line that says 20 items or less.  Ma’am either you cannot count or read or… you are just super arrogant.  And sir, that Def Leppard 1987 Winter Concert Tour t-shirt simply doesn’t fit you anymore.  It is over.  You have received your full due for the payment of that Big Hair Band memorabilia. Your 50+-year-old man beer belly is disparaging to everyone who ever loved the band.

And I don’t just witness “bad” things. I have a keen eye for seeing compassion.  I saw a boy tell his mother he was going to help an elderly woman take her groceries out to the car.  The dear gesture reminded me of something my manbabies would do. So, I took a beat and cried on aisle 17, where I also threw an inappropriate supply of Cheezits into my grocery cart.

This is something else society doesn’t understand, Cheezits are essential.

Another thing I don’t think society understands is the News Media.  As a whole, it seems society has been led to believe that the news media is working together to give us all the facts.  I am not that widely read, but for those who are reading this and don’t know, I suspect the News media is just an alarmist entertainment conglomerate.  I feel certain they don’t understand anything, just like the rest of us.  Their job is simply to tell us stuff they may or may not know in an effort to fill space that may or may not be there in the quantum realm.

I should probably confess, I learned the term “quantum realm” from Marvel Wiki because I have had a lot of time on my hands lately and I have four sons.

I don’t understand what the quantum realm really is.  While I doubt there is a real rocket scientist here, if there are any Marvel enthusiest, chime in.

All this said, it appears life is slowly getting back to “normal,”  whatever that means.  I am not so sure that normalcy is something we as a society can claim as our own.  We understand too little and seem to think even less.  This is all fine with me.

If I understand nothing else, I certainly understand opportunities for good material.

Jesus be all over your misunderstood selves.  Love, J

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