It’s My Facebook & I’ll Share If I Want To!

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It always cracks me up that rude, selfish people tend to be the ones who call out others on bad behavior. The guy who cuts in front of you in line is the first to get his underwear in a bunch when you don’t see him and inadvertently don’t hold the door for him on your way out. The woman who talks loudly on her cell phone or screams at her kids in the movie theater never fails to complain about your whispered comments to your date. Truthfully, the examples go on and on in this crazy, upside down world, and social media is no exception.

Recently, I had a Facebook acquaintance complain to me about all my articles that I share on my Facebook timeline. She told me that my links were cluttering up her newsfeed and keeping her from seeing the “important’ posts. She flat out told me that I was being rude and inconsiderate for “hogging valuable space on Facebook”!

Yes, you heard that right. I was actually being chastised for sharing a few links a day of my favorite pieces of my online work — on my own Facebook page. To add to the irony of it all, these complaints came from an individual who plays a myriad of Facebook games every day — all day long — and never hesitates to share all of her gaming statuses and requests. If anyone is hogging up the newsfeed, it is her; not me.

Now before you get your underwear in a bunch, too, know that I have no objection to playing and sharing Facebook apps. In fact, I enjoy playing several myself. By all means, share away! I love to see my friends doing what makes them happy. But it irks me that someone could think that my link sharing is so despicable, while her gaming activity is perfectly fine. No offense, but my writing and my desire to help people have more value than any request for lives or game pieces or energy.

Ultimately, if I can tolerate and ignore the gaming posts on my newsfeed, why can’t people not interested in my writing just scroll on by? It’s a no-brainer, right? Apparently not! It appears some people just can’t let anything that annoys them slide, no matter how minor. All I can say is thank the Lord above for the ‘Unfriend’ button.

My attempts to appease this woman only made matters worse. I even tried to help her to see things from my perspective, but it still escalated. She was furious and not backing down. Finally, I moved on. I wished her well and then blocked her. There’s enough stress, drama, and stupidity in life without putting up with it on Facebook, too! Social media should be drawing us together and helping us to lift each other up. It should never divide or tear down, especially those we consider as friends.

 

© 2020 Amanda R. Dollak

Teachers Who Believed in Me

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Looking back, I can now see that quite a number of things developed my love of writing and motivated me to become a writer. The Lord has used those around me, everyday life events, other people’s creations, and even the hardships of this life to mold me into the writer I am today. Nonetheless, I strongly believe that I would have given up on this dream ages ago, if God hadn’t given me role models to encourage me along the way. I am particularly grateful for all the teachers who believed in me and my skills as a writer long before I ever dared to believe in myself.

I was an extremely shy kid. I was pretty smart. I often knew the answers to the questions my teachers asked in class. However, I was often too self-conscious to raise my hand . . . at least for the first few years of elementary school. Once I reached third grade, though, things started to change. My third grade teacher, Miss Yarchak, saw right through my silent facade. She could see the potential in me and encouraged me every opportunity she could get each school week.

At first, I was horrified by all of her attention. I was much more comfortable flying under the radar. Every time she “volunteered” me for a task in class or called on me to answer a question (despite plenty of eager students actually raising their hand), I was mortified. I wanted to melt into my chair and never be seen again. I remember crying all alone by myself, sure that this new teacher hated me and secretly enjoyed tormenting me.

But Miss Yarchak never gave up. Little by little my confidence began to blossom. With each correct answer, I grew less afraid. All her praise slowly drew me out of my shell, showing me that I too was an important part of the class, just like all of my fellow students. I gradually learned to even love speaking up and helping out in class. Without her, I’m not sure when I would have finally found my voice.

All these years later, I still remember Miss Yarchak and count her as a rich blessing in my life. Her gentleness and determination changed my life forever. I grew to love school and to recognize my talents. She was also the first teacher who believed, without a doubt, that I would become a writer some day. She saw that God had blessed me with a gift for words and seeing the world around me in a unique way. Miss Yarchak was a woman of vision. She had a knack for seeing the potential in children, including the “problem” kids, long before anyone else did. Where would we be without teachers like that?

After Miss Yarchak, I had a number of teachers who continued to encourage me and my dreams over the years. They took the foundation laid by my third grade teacher’s confidence in me and continued to build me as I grew into an adult. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be the woman or the writer I am today without these generous and supportive teachers. We often take for granted how hard teachers work for their students. Yes, their main job is to educate their students. But the best teachers impart so much more. They build up a student’s heart and spirit just as much as they do their mind.

I have long forgotten the exact math or English lessons I learned in third grade. Obviously, my third grade education was vital to the rest of my school years (and perhaps even beyond). Still, what I do remember (and vividly, at that) is how Miss Yarchak never saw me, a super shy child, as an inconvenience or lost cause. She lovingly put in all the extra effort necessary to reach me where I was at, so I might one day grow to see my worth and my strengths. Thank you, Miss Yarchak, for never giving up on me. I will remember you always. And I will forever cherish your faith in me all those years ago. It’s a precious gift I could never repay.

Did you have any strong, encouraging mentors as a child? Who was your favorite teacher? How did they help you to become the individual you are today?

 

© 2020 Amanda R. Dollak