Jumping on the Social Bandwagon

At some point, I think most people can say that they have jumped on a social bandwagon. Over the past couple of weeks, two major social causes have been in the forefront of the national media - Kony 2012 and the Trayvon Martin case. 

I'm not going to voice my opinion on the specifics of either, but I ask a simple question - why must people feel the need to discredit the level of support and attention garnered by these causes that have reached millions of people with their message?  Someone somewhere cared enough to start a grass roots movement regarding an issue that was important to them. That movement could have started with a phone call, a post on a Facebook page, a tweet, a YouTube video, or any number of ways in our social media connected world.  We all have the ability to do the same regarding an issue that we hold near and dear.

I don't think people realize that by – posting negative comments about the causes, trying to redirect people’s attention to another cause, locally or nationally – are on the very bandwagon that they seem to be opposing. 

Silence is golden, as is our collective voices in support of a cause. So instead of posting a dissertation on your Facebook page about how and why someone else's cause is garnering so much attention, use your voice to start your own cause and be the driver of your own bandwagon.

Goldfish and the doctors office

Orange and Wipes (whites), my son's goldfish, have been at the doctors office for over a year now.  I never mustered up the courage to explain their floating deaths to him when they occurred. The little guy wears his feelings on his sleeve, an adorable trait that he received from his momma. So upon their floating demise, Orange and Wipes had an extended stay at the doctor's office.

Today while my son was on an outing with my sister and mom, I was speaking with my sister on the phone. They passed a pet store and I heard my son in the background declare that his fish were dead!  I was flabbergasted!!

I immediately asked my sister to ask him who told him that? I heard him say, "I told myself. They've been at the doctors for a long time and haven't come home so they're dead." Oh geesh, what have I done.  I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.  We haven't talked about those goldfish for quite some time. The absence of the fish tank, I'm sure, has lent to the lack of conversation about them.

So in remembrance of Orange and Wipes he has now requested a Nemo fish. O_o  That salt water tank better come with a maintenance man because I'm sure Nemo will be visiting Orange and Wipes' doctor sooner rather than later.