I Am Afraid To Just Be Myself - by Dan W. Miller
The author is afraid but will be brave anyway
Today I am afraid. Oh, there are many reasons why I'm afraid. Afraid of offending even just one person. Afraid of contacting someone on a media site, even though I haven't actually met them in person, for fear they'll report me because THEY are afraid to experience someone new.
Because of these feelings, I wrote an open letter to facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.
Dear Mark Zuckerberg,
Congratulations! You have made all the people on your site paranoid. It's not so much as a "do you know this person" as it should be a "do you want to know this person" internet place for social media and interaction.
90% of my fb friends I DID NOT KNOW. But I DID get to know them after we (cyber-)met on fb, then either later in person or by phone or the ol' "pen-pal" method where now I have some of thee most loyal friends ever!
Everyone who has (the limit) 5,000(+) fb friends did it when you could friend HUNDREDS per day. Now you even limit that.
You're totally blowing it here, boss. Now I can't friend anyone for fear of my account being dropped. No one can friend me because of the same fear.
Yes, I am aware of all the privacy issues. But just like the politically correct social paranoia of the 99 people being FOR something and that 1 weirdo that doesn't, we ALL have to comply to THEM.
I give it one year and Twitter, Instagram & YouTube will make your site seem like my grandma driving her 1977 Dodge Dart at 35 mph on the freeway and everyone else speeding by honking their horns at her to get moving with the speed limit.
Sincerely, your facebook friend,
Dan W. Miller
I'm Afraid Even One Person Will Be Offended
I'm afraid of saying anything obvious against extreme, single-thought minded, "me only" scared people in my state, in my country, in my field.
Afraid of leaping forward, of making a decision, of being thought of as the guy who says what other people always think but are too afraid themselves to say it aloud. I'm even afraid of thinking up my own joke or material and presenting it for fear someone will say it's too similar to someone else's (that I didn't even know existed.)
Afraid to "tell someone off" because it might be too much of a "dose of reality" for them. Then I'm afraid they'll just say any lie they want to against me and people will believe them.
Afraid of all the stupid, jealous, myopic people. Afraid of people that kiss other people's butt (just to get ahead) that they know aren't really good people deep down or aren't that creative but may have some influence. Then everyone, all the sheep, will feel inclined to follow because THEY are afraid.Afraid of people in blind cliques.
Afraid to be the rebel, the individual, the leader, the one people look to, to get behind, to be the one to start it all and afraid to be the one with balls enough to even be that person. Afraid to be the person with just plain reason.
Heck, I'm even afraid to be the one to grow my hair long, to look different than the rest, to be the oldest, to not act my age or act like the many boring people my age. Afraid to write anything longer than one sentence on any social media site because I'm afraid no one will take the time to even read it. I'm afraid to think for myself and to tell you about it.
But I do it anyway. I did before and will continue to do so even though I'm still afraid. Perhaps I'm doing all of these things so you won't be afraid, too.
I'm afraid my work will see it
On one side of my place, and mind you, this is the nice part of Scottsdale, the guy's house was "army green." Yes, that's right. Complete with off army green for trim and a real U.S. Army jeep that he drove. They also had a camouflage green government issue transporter truck! A dried up pool in the backyard was covered in weeds. He had a couple of classic mustangs rotting back there, too. Nice guys, though. They just really kept to themselves.
The other side? I never saw her. I was told it was "her" but I never saw "her." Luckily, there was a real great guy that worked for the city that lived across the street from us.
So now I'm in a co-op, I'm living in north-west-central Phoenix. But my neighbors are very unsociable and unfriendly. Everyone always says the city is "pockets." Pockets of nice historic houses next to gated communities or near four bedroom houses and down the street from sad, hardscrabble next to abandoned, run down houses.
I've been walking around this neighborhood only during daylight hours. It's a rather tough area to look at with all the empty houses. Where did the owners go? There ARE hard working people living here, though. Makes up for the empty homes across the street.
I'm Afraid Of The Future... Shock
It has been 40 years since Alvin Toffler released the classic jolting portrait of things to come in the landmark book "Future Shock!" Six million copies have been sold since 1970. Now, Toffler Associates have released "40 For The Next 40." Trends that willl shape our world from now until 2050.
Among the many sociological predictions from the 1970 novel, Mr. Toffler warned of border privacy and that we were on the verge of something very big in communications but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Of course, the internet emerged later.
In the new book there will be an increase in females in politics, a push by religious groups for more power and the best chance for election will come from "Philanthro-capitalists," people with a lot of money and world influence.
Successful organizations will link chemical, biological, nuclear sensors just like we carry cell phones around. Mass production will be replaced by custom manufacturing. Invasion of privacy will spread because of even more cameras that will be in use along with surveillance devices.
The Future Of Social Networks
Social networks will gain huge influence. Technological advances will give poor nations the opportunity for economic power. Where work is done will matter less and people will be freed from their cubicle. However, the relentless pace of change wearies some Americans.
"Time would become almost instantaneous. Space doesn't matter anymore. There'll be no boundary." states Deborah Westphal, managing partner of Toffler Associates.
Technology is important but human communication is most important. Toffler tried to explain to his daughter the importance of face-to-face communication. Because of facebook, she could not fully grasp the significance that "in person" will STILL be the best form of communication for business or personal matters in the future.
Dan W. Miller