The number of viral impressions each and every day is in the billions. We upload photos of ourselves, homegrown videos, and tell the blososhpere community about our great and sassy lives and attributes. On the many online social and dating networks we spin ourselves, how "awesome" we are, and our looks (only put up our best photos), and how great everything is. Exaggate? No! Well, maybe just a tad.
Notice on a recent date or interview when asked about our strengths we can talk about ourselves non-stop and leave no stone unturned. When it comes to us - humans have the capacity to talk incesently. The other person then asks for areas where we get tripped up or about our “weaknesses or shortcomings” – and, our answer is 42 seconds in length. And, as a society we are coached and get tips on how to minimize or spin our weaknesses into a remarkable positive attributes. Spin sayers and people players – that is what we do. “Looking good” till the cows come home.
So, isn’t it just perfect when such a hot and high profile movie star like Christian Bale
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Bale
has a dramatic meltdown, a hissy fit, a rant like no other, a YOU’VE -GOT-TO-TAKE-A-TIMEOUT-NOW moment? Well, in Christian's case, make that moments. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29056200/ . We watch this clip and declare “What the F is wrong with that guy?" "He’s got all the money in the world; what a baby!" "He should be grateful; we are paying for his meal ticket." "I am not going to anymore of his movies.” Or... some version of these statements.
(Heck, even his sister says he needs help. And, maybe an anger management class or getting fired from the set could very well be in order for Mr. Bale!)
But the rest of us sit back and send the video to our friends, or post a blog about it in our www.Facebook.com or www.Myspace.com and blah blah blah about our judgments and opinions about this guy. The once hottie you had it for, suddenly gets dismissed and his photos deleted from your folio.
When are we under the microscope? Who watches us when in the privacy of our home we get triggered? Who watches our meltdowns and our yelling or our tantrums? When are we out for all human and viral consumption?
The numbers are compelling – half of all marriages end; and the divorce lawyers are making ga-gillions. So, you think these relationships are ending amicably? If there is sex or money or children involved, I think not. Maybe during a divorce, or, even a “happy marriage” - a voice inflection (or two), a mild melt-down (or three), or even a scatological word (or four) might have come out of your mouth. But, is your $%^&@# tirade caught on tape? Frankly, Usually, Like Almost Never, No.
Remember your last blow up or melt down? You know the one....when you just HAD to have just that one extra glass of wine? Can we not just give each other a break before rushing to judgement? Our human-ness is the same for all 6.7 billion of us … how we act and react to our environment and its' triggers does differ, but we all have been miffed or angered many, many times. And yes, for even the most mundance and stupid reasons.
Today, go and be gentle with yourself and generous with others. In traffic, don’t be so stingy for god's sake… you getting to your destination one-half of a nanosecond sooner will not have a cosmic variance on the history of the world.
Drive Your Bargain,
Anne
