Leap Please

Leap day is here. Pretty neat indeed, but I think I'd like to leap to the next one please. Normally I'm not the kind of person to want to fast-forward to the future, but this particular leap day, America seems to be relishing in the politics of hate. So if I could I would fast forward to four years from now when it's all over.

Funny, the last time we had a leap year it was also an election year. I think the extra day has done something to peoples brains. It's not surprising to find the usual suspects in an election... opposing ideas, plans, and debate. It's when you toss the media in the mix that things start to really boil, which is expected. However this year I think someone turned the heat to high and it's turning everyone's noggins to mush.

The vitriol is at levels I have not seen in my lifetime. Maybe it's that social media is playing a part in this election like never before. Access for everyday people to sit behind a computer screen and type whatever they like without regard to whether it is actually true or not. The rise of the "new media" has produced a multitude of blogs, and pundits popping up out of the woodwork. Suddenly everyone is a "political expert". People can now hide behind a computer screen and cut, paste, twist, splice, dice, and concoct articles and videos that are used like bullets to wound those they view as needing to be taken down. I find it frightening because often these efforts are not promoting the truth, but instead deepening the divide.

The high and holy conservative pundits sit on their thrones telling people essentially: "You must support thus and such or you cannot possibly be a real conservative or Christian". The same bodes true for the opposite side of the political isle... liberal pundits pushing their guy or gal as the case may be. It's like some of them are literally having a temper tantrum from atop their media perch: "How could you evangelicals choose Trump, oh the humanity."  

Many of us have seen it; a "friend" announces on their Facebook something to the effect of:

"If you support thus and such candidate for President then you can just delete me now. In fact I'll even save you the trouble, if you post or like anything by said candidate I will delete and block you myself."

These kind of posts always give me a giggle. I'm not sure the people who post them even see the irony of making such a statement. See we have a word for this in the Greek language it's called hypocrisy. Let's see according to the Merriam Webster dictionary the word means the following:

Hypocrisy: the behavior of people who do things that they tell other people not to do: behavior that does not agree with what someone claims to believe or feel.

What a silly thing for a person to post. Stating that one is so staunch in their belief of freedom that they can not possibly tolerate anyone in their "safe space" (in this case personal Facebook world) who does not agree with their deeply held convictions of personal responsibility, liberty, independent thinking, and most importantly freedom of speech that they have to ban anyone who does not think exactly like they do. Doing so is completely and totally hypocritical. Actually I find it pretty funny, and seem to be having more and more laughs about people doing this very thing, as we get farther along in the election cycle.     

Which leads me to just a little bit wish I could hit the switch and jump onto the next leap year when all of this is behind us. To that magical place in time when people will have woken up to the fact that this is the real world, and there are no "safe spaces". When people will have put on their big boy and big girl pants and finally figured out that we are all free to think and choose our own thoughts. What we like, dislike, and even whom we choose to support for President. That even if we "agree" on some things, even most things, there will always be something for we the people to disagree about, and it does not make us bad people. My wish is that this practice of character assignation of people who do not 100% agree with each other is a fad that dies, and quickly.  

Happy Leap Day and Super Tuesday!

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com 

Love to Hate

Something has been bugging me for a while now. I try to ignore it, but the more I ignore the worse it seems to get. So like any good creative person, I decided to write about it.  

I've noticed a disturbing trend in the past few years. It started slowly and has grown to the point that it makes me want to pull the plug. Pull the plug... What in the heck in the world are you talking about Greek girl? We all know the Internet can be a powerful tool. However these days it seems more and more like a weapon. 

For people like me (an independent recording artist) the Internet is a powerful tool that has opened up an entire world of opportunities (literally). Opportunities to share my music and brand with people in parts of the world I never would be able to without it. Artists, businesses, non-profits, the list of people who benefit from the freedom and connection of the Internet are endless.

For some it's a powerful tool to share ideas and products. For others it a hideaway to hurl hate. Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe everyone is entitled to have their owns opinions and feelings about everything in life. We don't all have to live the same and think the same like robots in a Stepford Wives episode. I mean we do after-all live in the greatest country on the face of the earth. Something has happened though, something that truly scares me. Never in my life have I witnessed so many who seemly love to hate. People united in posting, sharing, creating and devoting oodles of precious time spreading pure venom. Hatred, jealousy, envy, sorry but those are just not American values.

A little term I came up with called "derangement syndrome" seems to be everywhere anymore. Insert name or organization before the term and there you have the description of an entire group of people united in sharing and spreading each and every negative thing they can find about said person or organization. People who go bonkers, I mean literally off the rails at the mere mention of derangement objects name. What do I mean? Well, lets see... we have a few examples in no particular order:

Patriots Derangement Syndrome
Tom Brady Derangement Syndrome
Trump Derangement Syndrome
Bush Derangement Syndrome
Joel Osteen Derangement Syndrome

The list goes on. I post these examples not to judge or praise any of them, rather only to illustrate a few of the particularly common derangement syndromes permeating our society today. The thing I find most troubling about this condition are the people who come down with the syndrome, many of whom are Christians.

Of course it's not just Christians getting it that bothers me, it's anyone who comes down with the syndrome. When Christians get it though, I find it especially disturbing. You see Jesus said they will know us by our love. Now I'm not saying we need to lie down and let everyone walk all over us because Jesus stood up when it was necessary. Like the time when he flipped over the money tables in the temple. Standing up though doesn't mean devoting ones self to the sharing of and spreading of hate.

We have a word in the Greek language for this kind of behavior, it's called hypocrisy. Better known as do as I say, not as I do. It's almost as if they are saying: "Yeah I'm a Christian I love God, I love people, I'm good, but I devote my entire Facebook page, blog, website (or whatever the case may be) to sharing articles I do not one hundred percent personally know to be true, but that's OK because I got my opinion out there." 

Everyone knows the media has an agenda and often times are biased. However the rise of the "new media" movement has bred a multitude of websites, blogs, videos and more devoted to spreading utter vitriol. Oftentimes I am shocked even more by the personal words written by people in the comments section when they share these things. The people I see this bitterness coming from, and the level to which they go, this for me is what cuts the most. There have been times I almost dump my dunkins on my laptop it's so disturbing. 

America was built on hard work. Used to be a someone saw a successful person as an inspiration. If they can do it, so can I kind of thing. Americans used to celebrate others success. Instead today we have media propping people up then far to willing, ready, and waiting for the chance to tear them down. When a successful person rises to incredible heights in their field or career, the haters come out in full force. They hide behind a computer screen and cut, paste, twist, splice, dice, and concoct articles and videos that are used like bullets to wound those they view as needing to be taken down.   

Not sure how or when it happened, but jealousy and entitlement for many have replaced aspiration. Take Tom Brady for example: he's talented, good looking, has a beautiful wife, makes boatloads of money doing what he loves. He can't possibly just be gifted though, he must have cheated. Another example, what did the founding fathers want in a President? Successful businessmen to leave their vocation to go and "serve" the people for a time, then leave. So when someone steps up to do it, they are labeled an egomaniac or Hitler. I'm just sayin... think about it.

There are always two sides to every story and there will always be stories until the end of time. I just know I would not want to stand before God at the end of my time and have the answer to what I did with my time to be "sharing hate". So I for one will continue to use the internet as a tool to share the good. To share my music and message. To make a positive impact, to encourage, inspire and do my best to lift people up, not tear them down. My hope is that more will catch this syndrome and do the same.

Blessings, Love & Music,
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com