Is anyone out there beginning to experience Facebook fatigue? I can speak for myself and say yes. First it seems the heavy users of Facebook gauge their popularity in how many friends they have or how many likes they get and if we all stood back to think about this fact is it not troubling?
It would seem that we are all staying inside on the couch a lot more and this behavior is translating to our kids. I am as guilty as many about not being able to just put my phone down and forget about it. We are all completely tied to technology at such an unhealthy level now. I grew up until my 20’s without a cell phone or computer so what has changed? Why is immediate connectivity so important now?
Well I’ve made a decision. My wife, my family and my life are too important to waste away on Facebook. I am going to make a change. I won’t entirely step away from Facebook but I will be on it much less. It’s time to focus on what’s important to me and that is not on my computer screen! The people that are most important to me, and I them, know how to communicate with me. I really think that my life will be much simpler and I will enjoy my lovely wife more. I will concentrate on what is around me and the people around me.
This announcement will not shake anyone’s world but my own but I wanted people to know I’m not just disappearing. I am trying to make a healthy change. I will look in now and again but as I said it will not be every day and it will not be on the hour. To all of you who feel compelled to live your life on Facebook I wish you the best but don’t forget about the people around you that you may actually be ignoring even if they don’t say so. Life is short…..don’t waste it away online.
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Irrelevant?
It’s been a while since I wrote anything. Not sure why….but I’m back.
One thing I’ve been pondering lately is something I do think about from time to time but it seems more relevant as time goes by. In fact the term relevant could be applied to this as well. The question is this; has time passed me by? Am I a prude? Have I become an old curmudgeon that just hasn’t kept up with the times?
Ok, that’s several questions but they all pertain to the same thing. I see the use of disrespectful language, disrespectful behavior and everything in-between and I am starting to think the new norm is something I’ve not adapted to as I grow older. I see just one foul word on a post in Facebook and I shake my head. I wonder what has happened that language has become so unbridled. Then I think is it me? Am I so out of touch, so old fashioned that I cannot loosen up and not react to these things?
So I guess I am wondering if the bar has changed and I just haven’t changed with it. Am I becoming irrelevant to this new age of behavior? I’m not certain anymore. It’s not like I have no sense of humor or don’t enjoy having fun. It’s not that I am perfect and haven’t slipped up in the past. I am far from perfect. I have my own warts as does everyone.
I think what it comes down to being is I don’t react to change always positively. I don’t react well to decaying moral and social values that I see now as what many seem to think is the norm. I will likely go to my grave with these same feelings. I think life and people should be respected. (ALL life) I think the slow elimination of our children being able to communicate face to face will be the ruination of our society. I think the internet, with all its amazing advances and benefits have taken away the respect of our children for nature and for life. It has somehow cheapened what previous generations have seen as valuable.
I guess when I boil it all down I see no going back. We are obviously completely dependent on technology now right down to our youngest children. The simpler things in life I can appreciate will likely be considered old fashioned and now irrelevant. The fact is I will not change. Call me old fashioned or out of touch but it will not deter me from still enjoying a warm breeze or a fresh flower or chirping birds. Because when we all leave this planet, there will still be warm breezes, fresh flowers and chirping birds and they will all still be much more important than your IPad.
One thing I’ve been pondering lately is something I do think about from time to time but it seems more relevant as time goes by. In fact the term relevant could be applied to this as well. The question is this; has time passed me by? Am I a prude? Have I become an old curmudgeon that just hasn’t kept up with the times?
Ok, that’s several questions but they all pertain to the same thing. I see the use of disrespectful language, disrespectful behavior and everything in-between and I am starting to think the new norm is something I’ve not adapted to as I grow older. I see just one foul word on a post in Facebook and I shake my head. I wonder what has happened that language has become so unbridled. Then I think is it me? Am I so out of touch, so old fashioned that I cannot loosen up and not react to these things?
So I guess I am wondering if the bar has changed and I just haven’t changed with it. Am I becoming irrelevant to this new age of behavior? I’m not certain anymore. It’s not like I have no sense of humor or don’t enjoy having fun. It’s not that I am perfect and haven’t slipped up in the past. I am far from perfect. I have my own warts as does everyone.
I think what it comes down to being is I don’t react to change always positively. I don’t react well to decaying moral and social values that I see now as what many seem to think is the norm. I will likely go to my grave with these same feelings. I think life and people should be respected. (ALL life) I think the slow elimination of our children being able to communicate face to face will be the ruination of our society. I think the internet, with all its amazing advances and benefits have taken away the respect of our children for nature and for life. It has somehow cheapened what previous generations have seen as valuable.
I guess when I boil it all down I see no going back. We are obviously completely dependent on technology now right down to our youngest children. The simpler things in life I can appreciate will likely be considered old fashioned and now irrelevant. The fact is I will not change. Call me old fashioned or out of touch but it will not deter me from still enjoying a warm breeze or a fresh flower or chirping birds. Because when we all leave this planet, there will still be warm breezes, fresh flowers and chirping birds and they will all still be much more important than your IPad.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
The Microsoft Store (Lesson Learned)
So I thought I would write a short post about how a certain corporation’s store got the best of me. Here is what transpired:
Back on July 5th, 2015 I ordered a Dell Inspiron Laptop from The Microsoft Store. I bought it from this site because they offered a deal that was below what Dell was selling the same computer. This was a computer for my wife in her retirement that would give her plenty of hard drive space, more than enough memory and a fast processor. I failed to really notice that on the order they put a disclaimer that no refunds after 30 days.
The computer arrived and I was all excited about giving my wife, for her birthday mind you, a screaming machine using the latest OS, Windows 8 at the time, and having a new computer she could use well into the future. Well my excitement slowly turned into frustration as performance issues began to happen to the point now that we can’t even use the machine.
I got online with Dell and their tech spent almost 3 hours with me trying to diagnose and repair the issues. They could not find a problem but they also did not fix the performance problem. So my next step was to go to the Microsoft Store. We began moving to a different state so it got put on hold a little longer than necessary but the fact remains the computer is about 3 months old and my wife’s old Gateway Laptop with Windows 7 out-performs this Dell!
The Microsoft Store….I began an online chat with a Microsoft person. I retold my entire story and the person was constantly saying how they understood how frustrated I was….that’s where the understanding ended. I have spent so much time trying to resolve this with Dell and now with Microsoft that I really just wanted this resolved by replacing this machine. I was told, in no uncertain terms, that they could not refund my money as it was over 30 days. I replied that I did NOT WANT A REFUND, I just wanted a machine that worked as expected!
Apparently this is just not something the Microsoft Store does. They do not back up their sales and the Microsoft store tech came back at one time with a comment that maybe I should think about where the root of the problem exists, in other words it was Dell’s fault.
We are now at a point where if we buy something online it is a buyer beware kind of setup. I learned a lesson here. I thought I was dealing with a reputable company and that they would indeed provide the right kind of support. They offered me a “tune up”. So I guess they think there is something Dell, the manufacturer, could not find.
To end this hideous story, I was contacted through the Facebook page of the Microsoft Store and asked to send my order number and other pertinent info. I did so and have not heard a word. I am done with the Microsoft Store. I learned an expensive lesson and my point in writing this is to teach others. I will tell you if Microsoft makes good I will write a follow-up but don’t hold your breath!
Back on July 5th, 2015 I ordered a Dell Inspiron Laptop from The Microsoft Store. I bought it from this site because they offered a deal that was below what Dell was selling the same computer. This was a computer for my wife in her retirement that would give her plenty of hard drive space, more than enough memory and a fast processor. I failed to really notice that on the order they put a disclaimer that no refunds after 30 days.
The computer arrived and I was all excited about giving my wife, for her birthday mind you, a screaming machine using the latest OS, Windows 8 at the time, and having a new computer she could use well into the future. Well my excitement slowly turned into frustration as performance issues began to happen to the point now that we can’t even use the machine.
I got online with Dell and their tech spent almost 3 hours with me trying to diagnose and repair the issues. They could not find a problem but they also did not fix the performance problem. So my next step was to go to the Microsoft Store. We began moving to a different state so it got put on hold a little longer than necessary but the fact remains the computer is about 3 months old and my wife’s old Gateway Laptop with Windows 7 out-performs this Dell!
The Microsoft Store….I began an online chat with a Microsoft person. I retold my entire story and the person was constantly saying how they understood how frustrated I was….that’s where the understanding ended. I have spent so much time trying to resolve this with Dell and now with Microsoft that I really just wanted this resolved by replacing this machine. I was told, in no uncertain terms, that they could not refund my money as it was over 30 days. I replied that I did NOT WANT A REFUND, I just wanted a machine that worked as expected!
Apparently this is just not something the Microsoft Store does. They do not back up their sales and the Microsoft store tech came back at one time with a comment that maybe I should think about where the root of the problem exists, in other words it was Dell’s fault.
We are now at a point where if we buy something online it is a buyer beware kind of setup. I learned a lesson here. I thought I was dealing with a reputable company and that they would indeed provide the right kind of support. They offered me a “tune up”. So I guess they think there is something Dell, the manufacturer, could not find.
To end this hideous story, I was contacted through the Facebook page of the Microsoft Store and asked to send my order number and other pertinent info. I did so and have not heard a word. I am done with the Microsoft Store. I learned an expensive lesson and my point in writing this is to teach others. I will tell you if Microsoft makes good I will write a follow-up but don’t hold your breath!
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Mini Rant
Many of you who know me know that I, from time to time, just have to spout off a rant. I am going to list in no particular order my list of independent rantacious thoughts….yep made up a word there.
1) That little gadget on the side of your steering wheel actually serves a purpose….look it up in your auto manual.
2) On the same note the use of that device does not mean you have permission to merge.
3) Hackers suck.
4) Children who constantly scream in a restaurant should be dealt with by parents and no one else so put your cell phones down and actually engage with your kids.
5) Anyone who thinks our government is efficient and the best stewards of our money only needs to make it to retirement age to understand the futility of that thought.
6) If you don’t believe in God then what exactly is your purpose on this planet other than to pilfer and die.
7) I really don’t understand pop culture any longer so have decided to divorce myself from most of it and won’t lose a minute of sleep about that decision.
8) Reality TV is an oxymoron.
9) Politicians=money=self-importance=failure
10) People are people no matter where you live….same fallacies, same strengths, same goodness, same evil but all in all I still would rather be on the beach.
11) I am blessed.
12) I love my wife.
13) I love my family, all of them, and wish I could be more involved with every one of them.
14) Making friends for me is a long process but thankfully my best friend is by my side.
15) I still love chocolate regardless of the health issues and if I am on my death bed and know it I would want a piece of chocolate before I pass.
16) Guns are not bad….people are bad…fix the bad people and stop worrying so much about the guns.
17) I know the previous comment will tick off some of my friends….so be it.
18) We used to be a nation that could see past our differences and still be the greatest nation on Earth……now we are so polarized, I wonder how we get back to that.
19) I love America and still think, albeit naively, that the good in our people will eventually win over the evil.
20) I am thankful for everything I have been given…..the good, the bad and the ugly for the bad and the ugly have made me appreciate the good even more.
That will do it for now…..now I feel better.
1) That little gadget on the side of your steering wheel actually serves a purpose….look it up in your auto manual.
2) On the same note the use of that device does not mean you have permission to merge.
3) Hackers suck.
4) Children who constantly scream in a restaurant should be dealt with by parents and no one else so put your cell phones down and actually engage with your kids.
5) Anyone who thinks our government is efficient and the best stewards of our money only needs to make it to retirement age to understand the futility of that thought.
6) If you don’t believe in God then what exactly is your purpose on this planet other than to pilfer and die.
7) I really don’t understand pop culture any longer so have decided to divorce myself from most of it and won’t lose a minute of sleep about that decision.
8) Reality TV is an oxymoron.
9) Politicians=money=self-importance=failure
10) People are people no matter where you live….same fallacies, same strengths, same goodness, same evil but all in all I still would rather be on the beach.
11) I am blessed.
12) I love my wife.
13) I love my family, all of them, and wish I could be more involved with every one of them.
14) Making friends for me is a long process but thankfully my best friend is by my side.
15) I still love chocolate regardless of the health issues and if I am on my death bed and know it I would want a piece of chocolate before I pass.
16) Guns are not bad….people are bad…fix the bad people and stop worrying so much about the guns.
17) I know the previous comment will tick off some of my friends….so be it.
18) We used to be a nation that could see past our differences and still be the greatest nation on Earth……now we are so polarized, I wonder how we get back to that.
19) I love America and still think, albeit naively, that the good in our people will eventually win over the evil.
20) I am thankful for everything I have been given…..the good, the bad and the ugly for the bad and the ugly have made me appreciate the good even more.
That will do it for now…..now I feel better.
Monday, July 27, 2015
More Stuff.....
Yes another entry. My mind has been actually working lately a little better; therefore I have thoughts to share. Lucky you.
One event that took place just the other day was losing an aunt of mine, Aunt Helen, who even after all of these years and miles separating us never felt like a stranger. It was some time ago when I last saw her but I pulled up to her old Montcalm Ave apartment and knocked on the door and that sweet lady appeared with a smile that made me know she was family and embodied everything that is good about family. The fact is if you look up love in the dictionary, likely Aunt Helen’s picture is beside it. She was one of a kind and I know of no person who could ever say a bad thing about her, notwithstanding the Dodger fan in her. Even though I did not see her for some time, I feel as though our family took a big hit in her loss.
I am not going to get political here. Everyone knows my political leanings, so unless I feel really moved to do a political piece, I am avoiding that nonsense for now. Sometimes avoidance is the healthier option. I felt a collective sigh from my few readers after writing that statement.
Let me talk a little bit about my new home, Myrtle Beach. There is a lot to enjoy here and the ocean is beautiful and the golf course at my back door is usually quite peaceful. There is a lot to like about this place but let me tell you a few things that are a challenge. The first thing is people….not just people but lots and lots of people. Along with lots and lots of people come lots and lots of cars with mostly lost people behind the wheel. Thankfully where we live, we can choose when and when not to be encumbered by people. In my employment I must coexist on the highways with many of these people. The thing about Myrtle Beach is it would appear that all rules of driving are suspending within the city limits. Most days I actually find it entertaining to watch. These folks just sprawl all over the highways and change multiple lanes with no regard to whether or not any other vehicles are near them. Turn signals are rare as they are in most places these days and speed limit signs are a waste of tax payer money. Not surprisingly there are a lot of accidents during “the season.”
Another positive about this place is restaurants. I thought where I came from, Raleigh NC, that they had a lot of restaurants. This place is crazy with all of the restaurants. One thing they are not here, generally speaking, is cheap. A lot of choice but they cater to the throngs of weary, lost travelers and separate them from as much of their money as possible. Choices do abound, however, so it’s hard to complain about that.
So Linda and I are trying to find our way down here. There certainly are lots of things to see, some we want to see, and some we could care less about. The wax museum is probably in the latter category. They have a pretty good minor league baseball team so I will try and go to those games as I am able. Baseball seems to have a way of bringing me back to my roots. (I was a lousy little leaguer but your mind tends to push those negative things away.)
And of course there’s the beach. Myrtle Beach really is a beautiful beach and we are minutes away so hopefully we take a lot of that in. I vote for waiting for more of the lost travelers to find their way home and give me my beach back but I will try and deal with the throngs when I have to deal with them.
Linda continues to near the official retirement phase of her life. I am so happy for her and also very proud of what she accomplished with the NC United Methodist Conference. She made a lot of lifetime friends and was generally surrounded by the highest caliber of people. I still must slave for the man for a few more years unless Ed McMahon comes to my door. (Wait he’s dead)
So to sum this little entry up; I am blessed.
One event that took place just the other day was losing an aunt of mine, Aunt Helen, who even after all of these years and miles separating us never felt like a stranger. It was some time ago when I last saw her but I pulled up to her old Montcalm Ave apartment and knocked on the door and that sweet lady appeared with a smile that made me know she was family and embodied everything that is good about family. The fact is if you look up love in the dictionary, likely Aunt Helen’s picture is beside it. She was one of a kind and I know of no person who could ever say a bad thing about her, notwithstanding the Dodger fan in her. Even though I did not see her for some time, I feel as though our family took a big hit in her loss.
I am not going to get political here. Everyone knows my political leanings, so unless I feel really moved to do a political piece, I am avoiding that nonsense for now. Sometimes avoidance is the healthier option. I felt a collective sigh from my few readers after writing that statement.
Let me talk a little bit about my new home, Myrtle Beach. There is a lot to enjoy here and the ocean is beautiful and the golf course at my back door is usually quite peaceful. There is a lot to like about this place but let me tell you a few things that are a challenge. The first thing is people….not just people but lots and lots of people. Along with lots and lots of people come lots and lots of cars with mostly lost people behind the wheel. Thankfully where we live, we can choose when and when not to be encumbered by people. In my employment I must coexist on the highways with many of these people. The thing about Myrtle Beach is it would appear that all rules of driving are suspending within the city limits. Most days I actually find it entertaining to watch. These folks just sprawl all over the highways and change multiple lanes with no regard to whether or not any other vehicles are near them. Turn signals are rare as they are in most places these days and speed limit signs are a waste of tax payer money. Not surprisingly there are a lot of accidents during “the season.”
Another positive about this place is restaurants. I thought where I came from, Raleigh NC, that they had a lot of restaurants. This place is crazy with all of the restaurants. One thing they are not here, generally speaking, is cheap. A lot of choice but they cater to the throngs of weary, lost travelers and separate them from as much of their money as possible. Choices do abound, however, so it’s hard to complain about that.
So Linda and I are trying to find our way down here. There certainly are lots of things to see, some we want to see, and some we could care less about. The wax museum is probably in the latter category. They have a pretty good minor league baseball team so I will try and go to those games as I am able. Baseball seems to have a way of bringing me back to my roots. (I was a lousy little leaguer but your mind tends to push those negative things away.)
And of course there’s the beach. Myrtle Beach really is a beautiful beach and we are minutes away so hopefully we take a lot of that in. I vote for waiting for more of the lost travelers to find their way home and give me my beach back but I will try and deal with the throngs when I have to deal with them.
Linda continues to near the official retirement phase of her life. I am so happy for her and also very proud of what she accomplished with the NC United Methodist Conference. She made a lot of lifetime friends and was generally surrounded by the highest caliber of people. I still must slave for the man for a few more years unless Ed McMahon comes to my door. (Wait he’s dead)
So to sum this little entry up; I am blessed.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Big Changes...
So I’ve not written much for a while. Part of it was because of how busy Linda and I have been trying to basically retool our new home and new life. I’ve been so tired at the end of every day I basically spent a lot of my time like a lump on our sofa.
I know that over these past several months I have inundated Facebook with pictures in and around our new digs. The positives outweigh any challenges with our move so I have decided to try to focus only on the positives.
Many of you know that I was quite involved with my church in many ways. I’m not sure how I ever fill the void that has been left in that regard. I am church hunting but I made so many friendships and went through so much personally through St Timothy’s Church that to find a place that will even come close to my Raleigh church home will be difficult at best. I must tell you that the Vestry and parish gave me a little send-off that was humbling and even now I am overwhelmed when I think about all of the outpouring of love and good wishes. The single most difficult thing about this move was moving further from all of those friends I cherish.
So I have settled in and soon Linda will finally retire and settle in as well. She is also going through a difficult period. Everyone who still works always is jealous of those who can retire but I must tell you while physically and emotionally she needs this, I am seeing that her love and contact of all of the people she worked with over 15 years with the NC United Methodist Conference is something she will dearly miss. She has been especially blessed to have the high caliber of people she most closely worked with and you cannot put a value on that.
We are blessed to have Linda’s sister and husband Jeff in the same town so we can connect with them regularly. It is always good to have family close. That has been a challenge as well because my daughter Marlee and Linda’s son Bill are now 3 hours away where they were minutes away for many years. The fact is we made this move for selfish reasons in that this was a step for us towards retirement and towards less maintenance and upkeep and more time to smell the roses. (or sea water as it were)
Now I am beginning to meet new friends and get to know my coworkers better so in that regard I am definitely headed in a positive direction. You never know how many years are in his plan for us so we are now going to try and make the best of every gift of a day we are given. And please stay in touch.
So I will start writing more as time and my physical ability allows. Based on my poor grammar and choppy sentences you can assume that mental ability is not really relevant. Happy days all!
I know that over these past several months I have inundated Facebook with pictures in and around our new digs. The positives outweigh any challenges with our move so I have decided to try to focus only on the positives.
Many of you know that I was quite involved with my church in many ways. I’m not sure how I ever fill the void that has been left in that regard. I am church hunting but I made so many friendships and went through so much personally through St Timothy’s Church that to find a place that will even come close to my Raleigh church home will be difficult at best. I must tell you that the Vestry and parish gave me a little send-off that was humbling and even now I am overwhelmed when I think about all of the outpouring of love and good wishes. The single most difficult thing about this move was moving further from all of those friends I cherish.
So I have settled in and soon Linda will finally retire and settle in as well. She is also going through a difficult period. Everyone who still works always is jealous of those who can retire but I must tell you while physically and emotionally she needs this, I am seeing that her love and contact of all of the people she worked with over 15 years with the NC United Methodist Conference is something she will dearly miss. She has been especially blessed to have the high caliber of people she most closely worked with and you cannot put a value on that.
We are blessed to have Linda’s sister and husband Jeff in the same town so we can connect with them regularly. It is always good to have family close. That has been a challenge as well because my daughter Marlee and Linda’s son Bill are now 3 hours away where they were minutes away for many years. The fact is we made this move for selfish reasons in that this was a step for us towards retirement and towards less maintenance and upkeep and more time to smell the roses. (or sea water as it were)
Now I am beginning to meet new friends and get to know my coworkers better so in that regard I am definitely headed in a positive direction. You never know how many years are in his plan for us so we are now going to try and make the best of every gift of a day we are given. And please stay in touch.
So I will start writing more as time and my physical ability allows. Based on my poor grammar and choppy sentences you can assume that mental ability is not really relevant. Happy days all!
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Another difficult Concept
I have been considering a word lately that is freely tossed around and extolled upon but I find it a difficult concept in its purest sense. It is tolerance. I’ve read the dictionary meaning and read tons of different quotes on the word but the difficulty I seem to have is understanding the pure meaning. It seems to hold a very subjective meaning in so many cases.
Just ask yourself this simple question: Are you tolerant? I think many people would quickly say yes. Then they would think about their answer and say sometimes. Dig deeper. Are you tolerant of a person’s weaknesses? Wait now, what would you consider a weakness? Another very subjective thing. Do you Tolerate children misbehaving? Most people’s answer would be yes….to a point. What is that point? Clearly if you watch children in public it’s different in almost every case. Some parent(s) seem to allow most anything while others keep a very tight reign. Again, we all tolerate things on a different level.
Now here it is, the most used, if not overused, instance of the word tolerance….political tolerance. Let’s face it, the left accuses the right of intolerance and the right accuses the left of the same. Who is right? Are they both right? ( sorry, correct) If you tolerate a certain perspective, does that mean you condone it? I should think not. To tolerate something in my eyes means to give freedom to the person or thing or principle to be able to express themselves without fear of retribution. That does not mean freedom of consequences though. Even though you tolerate something does not mean you erase your set of morals. It does not mean you should be unable to express an opinion about what you think is right or wrong otherwise why even have a moral compass?
The one aspect of the word tolerance that bothers me most is if I say I am tolerant of someone, it makes me sound as if I think I am superior. The fact is I consider the word accepting much better. It again does not mean I condone a particular behavior but it does mean I accept the person’s right to behave the way they deem fit and any consequences will come later and very likely not by me.
I guess this word has become a bit of a sore spot for me because the very people that seem to espouse the term tolerance the most only want us to condone a certain behavior and if we do not or cannot then they deem us intolerant. So you see, it seems to be a vicious circle that we will never solve. I think it comes down to something I’ve already said tolerance is acceptance but does not imply agreement.
So there you have it. I had to get this off my chest. If you’ve been able to tolerate this entry feel free to give me your thoughts. This is a concept I continually wrestle with so any help would be gladly accepted!
Just ask yourself this simple question: Are you tolerant? I think many people would quickly say yes. Then they would think about their answer and say sometimes. Dig deeper. Are you tolerant of a person’s weaknesses? Wait now, what would you consider a weakness? Another very subjective thing. Do you Tolerate children misbehaving? Most people’s answer would be yes….to a point. What is that point? Clearly if you watch children in public it’s different in almost every case. Some parent(s) seem to allow most anything while others keep a very tight reign. Again, we all tolerate things on a different level.
Now here it is, the most used, if not overused, instance of the word tolerance….political tolerance. Let’s face it, the left accuses the right of intolerance and the right accuses the left of the same. Who is right? Are they both right? ( sorry, correct) If you tolerate a certain perspective, does that mean you condone it? I should think not. To tolerate something in my eyes means to give freedom to the person or thing or principle to be able to express themselves without fear of retribution. That does not mean freedom of consequences though. Even though you tolerate something does not mean you erase your set of morals. It does not mean you should be unable to express an opinion about what you think is right or wrong otherwise why even have a moral compass?
The one aspect of the word tolerance that bothers me most is if I say I am tolerant of someone, it makes me sound as if I think I am superior. The fact is I consider the word accepting much better. It again does not mean I condone a particular behavior but it does mean I accept the person’s right to behave the way they deem fit and any consequences will come later and very likely not by me.
I guess this word has become a bit of a sore spot for me because the very people that seem to espouse the term tolerance the most only want us to condone a certain behavior and if we do not or cannot then they deem us intolerant. So you see, it seems to be a vicious circle that we will never solve. I think it comes down to something I’ve already said tolerance is acceptance but does not imply agreement.
So there you have it. I had to get this off my chest. If you’ve been able to tolerate this entry feel free to give me your thoughts. This is a concept I continually wrestle with so any help would be gladly accepted!
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