Rumination Day hit a lot of buttons for me and others yesterday. Thanks, it feels good. It’s only right in a genuine rumination to share the replies of other ruminants. We can make this a habit, a civil antidote to the poison on social media.  Thanks so much. I’ll keep writing, and I hope you will keep commenting. This is the very antithesis of trolls and the addictions and damage and degrading of our culture. We are not alone. One of my new mottos is saying no to cruelty, anger, dishonesty, and hate. Just don’t go there, says a voice in my head. We can’t stop it, but we don’t have to be it.

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Ruth: You inspire me here in the mountains of Colorado, late at night or 2:45 a.m., even though I failed at some physical tasks yesterday. I was feeling old. In a few hours, I will get up and start over. Thank you.

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Sherri: I guess I’m an old fart, too, because I’m so sad to say I agree with all of this. It’s a battle I’ve been dealing with in my head (my sense of right and wrong) since cell phones/internet came along. It seemed so great in the beginning, but now it is the demise, I feel, of our youth. I worked in an elementary school for 23 years until retiring (thank God) a year ago. I could not take it anymore. Namely, the disrespect I encountered daily from children aged 5-11 and their parents. I did it out of a love for children and giving back after my girls were raised in the public school system that expected and insisted on respect, integrity, and compassion. I’m so sad to say that it appears to be almost completely gone. I decided it was time for me to move on.

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Dana: I recently saw a short video that reminds me of the effect of social media. A short way down, two dogs are on opposite sides of an open fence. They bark and snarl savagely at one another until the corgi takes a break and walks through the opening to a water bowl next to the dog he was recently snarling at. Both dogs are calm and friendly.
After a sip of water to wet his throat, the corgi returns outside the fence, and they resume snarling. The wall is social media. When we do not need to suffer the consequences of such incivility face-to-face, we just let it fly. Social media allows us to be nasty to other human beings and never worry that it will return on us.

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Jon, I appreciate what you’ve written. I feel only heartbreak as I witness the addiction to tiny screens and the resulting separation this causes, especially with young people. Due to my sensitivity to Wi-Fi (it gives me loud tinnitus and heart palpitations), I have never owned a cell phone and have only my computer hardwired to ethernet. Anyone can do this with any wireless device. And still, I struggle with internet addiction. I envy your small rural community and connections with neighbors. I do my best to create that in California, but it is rare. For my part, I avoid social media and the “news” as much as possible, preferring the here and now of my life. This is why I appreciate your books; they are a much-needed break from all this other nonsense. It makes a difference who we are and how we interact, regardless of what others say. But it can also be exhausting, making times of solitude necessary.

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z’… well-written and a joy to read (as every one of your daily columns is). I am nearly your age and have decided that the remainder of my years will continue to be spent doing more for others than for myself. I have everything I need and want; many may need help to state the say. I will continue to work in my garden and watch the bugs, flowers, insects, and birds that show and teach me so much. – Deanna

Thanks for being in my life.

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This resonated with me today; thank you ! I love Shab00zey

Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are a loving gift. – Joan