Belly flop

The sun is making me remember the summer time.

I’m with a bunch of friends – some old, some new.  I dive off a pier but instead belly-flop to a dramatic fail.  I swim back smiling.  We’re gonna laugh about my red belly. 

“Wow, that was a bad dive, T.”  I’m about to laugh along.  It takes a second for me to realize they are not laughing.  Criticizing my poor form.  I make jokes to get them to start laughing with me.  They continue to press on – that was a bad dive that was a bad dive that was a bad dive – it’s clear that it doesn’t deserve to cause fun to be had.  

It gets me defensive.  Hey, it was a bad dive.  I know – I was there.  I’m uncoordinated.  So what.  It’s not an audition, girls, I think in my head but am too stunned to vocalize it.

I swim away, away away away, so I’m only with people who are supportive and loving.  So I’m only with myself.  

Years later, looking back, I know.  Some people are always looking to push you down.  Just because you’re happy.  Just because they are not.  Just because how dare I have something they don’t.

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Look who’s talking.

All that outrage around Sochi about LGBTQ rights/treatment in Russia and how everyone should boycott the Olympics. I do think it might be in the future of IOC, who has implemented the (controversial and far-from-perfect) gender equality rules.

And suspend countries that do not have equal rights and treatments torward LGBTQ like this country -> http://revolution-news.com/victim-brutal-anti-gay-hate-crime-faces-torment-police-tennessee/

Coattailers

Coat-tailers: People who wouldn’t voice their opinions unless or until they know that they are a. part of the majority, and b. only repeating someone else’s words.

They are quiet.  They are never the whistle blowers.  Oh no, no, never.
One day they find an article that they can “share.”
Now they’re one of the cool people who are behind so strongly of whatever is trending right now.  Death Penalty for Rob Fawcett!!  Boycott Olympics in anti-gay countries!!

They always always “share” these articles without adding their own comment.

Here is a test to see if they’re coat-tailers.
1.  Force them to comment by asking point-blank for their opinions.  They will only return some neutral BS or repeat or paraphrase what’s already in the article.
2.  See if they’ve done anything at all other than clicking their mouse twice so someone else’s words appear on their feed.  I mean anything else that they can’t get away by saying “I shared it because I thought people might be interested – not because I believe in it.

I can see the attraction of it.  In our society, we are immediately intimidated and put off by those that stick out, regardless how right they may be.  And, in our society, “popularity” is glorified and ranks higher than “integrity.”  It does.  Anyone who says it doesn’t is lying to themselves.

So why do I despise them?  What harm are they doing?
By definition of trend watching, they only swim with the current.  They create an illusion that the current is bigger than it really is because they would share and sign online petitions that they wouldn’t have got up off the couch for if it were a real ballot.  But once the trend slows down, they would have already moved on to the next fad.

Save the whales!!  (while attending the local aquarium)  Eat local!! (while online shopping for clothes)  Save the African children!! (while not volunteering a day in their own communities)

Don’t be a coattailer.