Tag: connect

Social Media.

On By AveryIn Faith, Life, Music, Uncategorized22 Comments

Social media has always been a really strange concept to me. A conundrum. Have I said this before?

Yes, yes, and yes I have.

It can be fun, sure. I really do like to share my photos & animals…and, uh, music, a lot of music…with other people because it brings me happiness to share the things I love and what makes me happy with others…in hopes that it does the same for them. I am sure that is a surprise to no one. And really, who doesn’t like to see cute animals?

It can be helpful. That is one of the reasons I started this blog. To share and connect. It is hard to share the difficult stories, but I do it because I know I am not alone and I am not perfect. I know that other people have experienced the same things.

But it can also be, well, bad. Really bad. Negative. Dismissive. Rude. Hateful. And let us not forget, so very fake. I can honestly say that I am constantly surprised by people’s behavior. Where does that even come from? Where does the energy to perpetuate such exhausting mentalities come from?

How has this platform replaced actual communication between our fellow man?

Something that has always bugged me is the amount of energy many people put into composing the perfect picture to post so they look a certain way…to other people. Or incredibly lengthy diatribes of hate. Do not even get me started on selfies and strange poses. I am not going to go there. I always think to myself that if people put as much energy into having good manners, being nice and positive, helping, and loving our neighbors and just being real as they did on perfecting the perfect post, how much better the world, even just the social media world, would be. Exposure to more love and light. More Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Memorial Day, Happy Veterans Day, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Ramadan, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Birthday, or whatever the holiday celebration may be. More smiling. More love. Create an intersection and not a corner.

I feel like people say Happy Halloween or Happy National Donut day more than any other holiday.

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The last few days have been interesting with the lunar eclipse and the first day of school. There were so many cool posts of people getting outside and experiencing the lunar eclipse, surprisingly with other people…together, and sweet children with happy smiles off on their first day back at school after summer. The negativity and hate seemed to stop, or at least be out weighed! If only for that quick moment.

Again, I can not help but wonder if everyone would put as much energy into good instead of bad, focusing on the positive and not the negative, being honest and real, visceral and empathetic, vulnerable, how much better off we would all be. How much more connected we would be, realizing that we are not that different from each other and we all have struggles.

Stir that around in your pot of thoughts. Each one of us makes a difference.

I can see how this may sound trite, but it is not only important, it is true.

Walk in love, my dear readers, and be a light today! Happy Wednesday!

Real, Like Rock & Roll

On By AveryIn Life, Music11 Comments

Your AHAmoment for today is brought to you by Sean McConnell. It is too good not to share.

Heart and soul. That is what matters. It is not what you have or what you do or where you are from. It is what lies behind your shirt pocket.

“We don’t look them in the eyes much anymore, hands in our pockets and our face down to the floor. Everybody’s staring at their telephone. We got the whole world in our hands and we’ve never been more alone.”

So true that it almost knocks the air out of me. Take me back to that ‘dying day.’ I refuse to believe it is dead.

Ironic how we call it ‘connected.’ Connected by internet and email and cell phones. I have never felt so disconnected with more of those things. But, What do I know? I am only 28.

Give me something that’s real
Like rock and roll.
Give me something I can feel
Down in the soul.
‘Cause everything is perfect.
Everything is clean,
Just an imitation of the thing it used to be.
Give me something that’s real
Like rock and roll.

And let me hitch a ride on a rusty freight train
Back in time to a dying day
When songs were played out of tune
And you could hear a heartbeat through
The radio.

Tell me something that you need
With all your heart.
Whisper secrets you’ve been keeping
In the dark.
Yeah, ’cause everybody’s talking
Just to make some noise.
Half the shit we’re saying don’t mean nothing anymore.
Tell me something that you mean
With all your heart.

And let me hitch a ride on a rusty freight train
Back in time to a dying day
When songs were played out of tune
And you could hear a heartbeat through
The radio.

We don’t look them in the eyes much anymore,
Hands in our pockets and our face down to the floor.
Everybody’s staring at their telephone.
We got the whole world in our hands
And we’ve never been more alone.

So give me something that’s real
Like rock and roll.
Give me something I can feel
Down in my soul.

And let me hitch a ride on a rusty freight train
Back in time to a dying day
When songs were played out of tune
And you could hear a heartbeat through
The radio.

Give me something that’s real
Like rock and roll.

~Sean McConnell
(Thanks to ShelliWayne on YouTube for the vid)

Typical day to day here. Wishing I could go ride in this gorgeous weather. Or go fishing. Anything. Prayers for it to hold trough to the end of Sunday. At present, it is looking pretty good.

You know who needs rain? Kansas. And Oklahoma. And North Texas. And all the other states suffering from wild fires. It’s a bad deal up there and no one seems to be taking about it. Talk about not connected. Whole ranches wiped out. Thousands of cattle dead. People have lost their lives and others are fighting for their livelyhoods. I have read that it is starting to look like the 30’s during the depression with the winds taking the barren dirt. They need rain in a bad way. Still, they are seeing the light in the dark. Plants beginning to sprout. Green amongst the black. Grave sites untouched, completely surrounded by scourched earth. Pages of hymnals able to be read. Stir that around in your pot of thoughts.

Next week starts weekday rides when I can. I would have gone today, but it frankly sneaked up on me. I am now feeling antsy pantsy, chomping at the bit to get out there. Story of my weekday life.

Blessed to have it!

Walk in love, dear readers.

The Surface

On By AveryIn Faith, Horses, Life4 Comments

I stumbled upon Carla Ber‘s blog a little while ago. Yesterday, not so coincidentally, she published a post entitled, ‘Go Deep. You Are Not Alone‘ basically discussing the very thing I was talking about yesterday, but just a little deeper (See what I did there?). Really, there are several things I have read lately that align with this.

The surface is boring, for all involved. Share your story with someone worthy. You will be amazed at how light and free you feel. By the connections you make. You are not alone. Am I a broken record yet?

It is the very core of why I wanted to start this blog. It is scary. It is hard. Boy, has it been worth it to me. To connect with you, my dear readers.

Sharing the story of my Uncle and the days following was terribly difficult for me. I almost did not do it because I was scared and heartbroken. I did not want to be judged or have my family judged. Thankfully, I realized that not sharing was not only the wrong thing for me, but it would have been the wrong thing for y’all. I feel stronger, lighter, and better for doing it. I can not thank y’all enough for your kind words and prayers. This is more than just about me though, I know that my sharing helped at least one person.

It is a serious kick in the gut to me (my pride) when I have a terrible ride and it is really all my fault. I try to share that though (and probably not very well because, hello, pride and ego) because that is the reality of working with horses. The reality of life. Everyone has bad rides and bad days. I walk in there with a big head, my horse is sure to humble me right down. It is about what you learn from it and how you grow from it. What you do with it and what you make of it. I at least know enough to know that I do not know everything. God willing, I have a lot of life left to live and learn. The horse has way more to teach me that I have to teach him. Most of all, to show up, continue to strive to be my best every day, and not compare my walk with that of another. Many days I feel like I suck at it, but that is OK because I am working on it.

I want to relate with you and know that I am not alone in my struggles. Know that you are not alone in yours. Spark ideas and open our minds.

Anyway, me being me and the way my mind works, reading her post made me think of this song (I know, I am obsessed with him). I hope you enjoy.

“I’m getting sick and tired
Of livin’ on the surface
And in between the lines”

Thanks to Sean‘s YouTube for the vid.

Walk in love, dear readers. Share your story.