The CDC this past week, revised their recommendations for how we handle/interact with each other regarding COVID-19. One of those recommendations was that social distancing is no longer needed.
One of the things I wished they would have also said is you may also resume treating each other with care and compassion.
Some of the things that I have heard and seen especially in the last few months is astounding, I would never dream of saying something to someone that would threaten violence to stranger, but it seems to be like more of the norm than a rare occurrence.
Is it a social media thing that as spilled out and over into our day to day actions and interactions with each other? Bullying has been around for centuries but it seems like instead of a once in a while thing it seems more like a normal way to act.
One of the other things I have heard is that people need to stop being over sensitive and reacting to others. I am wondering if it isn’t so much people overreacting as people reacting to the negativeness that is being bombarded at us.
How do we change this? How do we counteract this? I wish I knew. I have faced it in my own life, I have heard the bullying and I have said nothing for fear of escalating the situation.
There was a story in news a few weeks ago of a group of teenagers standing up to an adult that was scaring some younger kids and when the teenagers confronted the person, they ended up getting stabbed and one ended up dying. This is why people are afraid of stopping the bullying. Somehow not only is bullying okay and maybe even acceptable.
I truly wish I knew how to stop this, or slow it down. Is it confronting people? Is it possible to change someone else’s behavior? No, we know that the only behavior that we can change is our own.
We need to approach how we interact with each other. When we are confronted the negative, I think we need to infuse the situation with positive or just walk away if needed. Maybe if we stop feeding the negativity and work at creating a positive place.
So my friends, it is time to put on your Pollyanna, and stop accepting excuses for others. Stop accepting the attitude of that is just how the person is or it’s okay because the are under stress. We need to counter act the bullying and the negative.
Until next time,
Juli
Juli's Blog 