Meet Today’s Guest Blogger – Mary Rosenthol

It’s the end of the weekend things are pretty quiet here in the house. The children are watching a movie on Netflix. My husband is playing on his iPad and I am thinking about life. I am mentally reviewing last week and thinking ahead to the coming week. It’s nothing unusual for me.
Today, I got in a heated argument on Facebook. I love social media, but I hate it too. I find it can be a double-edged sword. It allows me to keep up with friends and family that I love, but it also opens my world to utter stupidity.
Long ago, I learned that life is short and can end unexpectedly, with that in mind I try to treat everyone in my world with kindness. However, I have a low tolerance for hypocrisy and drama. I do not understand why people are afraid to be honest. I would much rather you tell me that I have angered or wronged you than sit and stew over an issue. And I will treat you with the same level of respect.
When people are on Facebook or Twitter they lose humanity. Decency is totally forgotten. Most of the time my posts revolve around my children or our daily activities. Every once in a while I’ll complain about something on Facebook. Often, I make fun of myself because I’m known for my total lack of grace and balance! I go out of my way not to judge others, but instead to support friends who are working toward goals.
Sadly, one young woman in my group of acquaintances has decided it is her job to pass judgment on everyone around her. While many in our shared group kept silent during her Facebook tirade, I called her out for bullying. Who knew it would cause such a backlash. Our circle is in chaos!
I find myself thinking back to middle school and high school. I can remember this kind of social drama during those points in my life. And I recall hating it then. In adulthood, it’s even more tedious to watch people around you behaving badly.
So what’s the moral of the story today folks? It’s that bullying exists at any age and you should always stand up to it. If you have a problem with someone, just mention it, most people aren’t out to get you it is often a misunderstanding.
Mary Rosenthal is a reporter for Potomac Local, an editor for Manassas Local, and mom to two crazy preteen daughters.