Respect of Twitter/Blog Friendships
Today I was shocked to find a few people on Twitter giving @Military_Mom (Shellie Ross) a hard time. This poor mom JUST LOST HER SON! What is wrong with people? They find the need to question our friendships through Twitter or Blogging instead of trying to understand how it has provided a lot of us with a sense of community. Why does this bother people so much? And so what if Shellie wanted to tweet about her tragedy. To be honest, I probably would have too. And isn’t it her decision on how she wants to grieve? Social Media, mainly Twitter and blogging, has been been my salvation through many things. So why is it an issue for this amazing mother to share? She is trying to cope, dangit!
For those of you who question us I just assume you are not truly a part of any of these social media communities or you do not have a full understanding of it. When I see a Tweet about someone dealing with a tragedy or tough situation I want to be there for them. I want to comfort them as best I can. Whether I know them IRL or not. That is who I am. That is how a lot of my Twitter followers are. That is called compassion and love. That is what it is like to be a HUMAN BEING. To show compassion and love to others. To reach out and say “hey, I care and I’m here for you”. If you don’t get it I feel sorry for you.
When we heard on Twitter about @AnissaMayhew having a stroke we all Tweeted our support. We rushed to her blog and shouted out our love and prayers to her family. Her husband, Peter, has been posting to the blog and keeping Anissa’s Twitter/Blogging family updated on her progress. He is trying to cope and both he and Shellie are in much need of all the support and love they can get. That is what we are trying to do for them. For anyone in need. For a Friend. Yes, I said it, A FRIEND! I have not met either of these women IRL but they are FRIENDS!
I don’t care if you think I am naive, a recluse, consumed with Social Media, living in “la la land”, playing pretend with imaginary friends, ignoring my family, “just playing on the computer”, not doing my job, or whatever nonsense you want to throw my way all I want to say is this:
You don’t have to understand or even care but have the decency to
RESPECT MY TWITTER/BLOG FRIENDSHIPS AND FRIENDS!
Otherwise the wrath of this Mami may be upon you! Just saying.
With all my mamí love,
Jennifer
object width=”160″ height=”250″>
You are so right!! I’m glad you wrote about this.
Well stated! I can not imagine what their families are going through right now, and who are we to judge. I doubt that I would tweet about such a tragedy if it happened to me, but I’m not knocking her for doing it if that is what is helping her cope. I haven’t seen the negative tweets, but shame on the people who are doing it. It reminds me of when I did the March for Babies last year and PETA folks protested the March because animals were used for research to save the lives of HUMAN BABIES. I’m sorry, but I wanted to spit on those people. Hello, you idiots! Some of these people are marching because their babies died prematurely and you are protesting because some scientists and doctors killed a rat to try to save them. Like you said Mami, what’s wrong with these people?
Love you so much for this post! People just don’t understand that we are a family! Shellie tweeted because she needed us…her “other family” with her…and she couldn’t pick up the phone and call a thousand people. She may not have even wanted to physically speak, ya know? Just think of all the GOOD social media has done. Donations to Maddie’s parents to help pay for her funeral arrangements, etc. How we’ve all come together to help Anissa and her family. And now, Shellie. And countless others. A shame that there’s always gotta be some haters!
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by mami2mommy: Respect for Twitter/Blog Friendships http://tinyurl.com/ydpop2o...
I am very happy to have seen you write this. I was looking through some comments yesterday and was just amazed at how heartless some people can be? What is so wrong with the world today that people can’t just be human, nice, and caring?? I mean to yell at a mom and lay blame on her after losing her son… as if that wasn’t hard enough to deal with she has to listen to peoples ignorance?? I’m so sorry for her loss, and can’t imagine having to deal with that. My heart and prayers go out to her, and I would be happy to have the support of my SOCIAL MEDIA FRIENDS if I ever needed them.
I don’t know Shellie. I don’t know her situation. I don’t have to. There are no words to help her, nothing can take away this pain she’s feeling. I hope one day she’s able to find peace in this great loss. She’ll be in my thoughts and prayers.
I do not know Shellie, either, yet I feel her pain! Regardless of the situation, she is a mother and has a heart. I saw many of the harsh comments flying around twitter and on new stations, but the fact of the matter is, she suffered a great loss.
Well said Jennifer. May our prayers and thoughts for Shellie and her family give her some comfort in knowing she has many “friends” old and new holding her dear to our hearts right now.
[...] Tweets about this great post on TwittLink.com [...]
When you wrote this did you find yourself going through numerous emotions at rapid speed?
I, too, feel the same way you do and had to write about Social Media, Sweet Bryson, and the fact that this family needs prayers and our love more than anything right now. Military_Mom needs healing. It breaks my heart to see how people have torn this situation in two.
On a lighter note, love that I found you through the #Bryson stream.
[...] Don’t test your Twitter friendships and respect the choice of people’s tweetitos. [...]