The blog world is a strange place. At least it can be. I've noticed lately a phenomenon in the "Mormon Housewife Blog World," and I care enough about it to make my voice heard on the matter.
Have you ever seen the movie "Mean Girls"? With Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams and Tina Fey? It's not normally the kind of movie I go for, but there's so much truth in the satire that I can't help but adore it. "Girl World" is depicted in all of it's terrifying, back-biting, disrespectful potential. And here's the problem I'm seeing.
The Mormon Housewife Blogosphere shouldn't ever resemble "Girl World." There are too many people being hurt by misinterpreted comments, snide entries, and rude opinions. This is not becoming of Christian women.
So I issue a call. It's a call to myself, as well, since I am far from being the righteous, caring, upstanding Christian woman I'd like to be. My own blogging history is proof that I haven't always been trying. And I understand the occasional need to vent. But if you must vent publicly, remember that doing so should never come at the cost of others. No one should be made to feel hurt by the things you say. You can't try to keep everyone happy; it's true that some may just be offended. But speak with compassion. Write with kindness.
I call upon the Mormon Housewife Blogosphere to cast off girlhood, to stand and be women.
I call upon women to think before they type, and to speak words that uplift and inspire.
I call upon each of us to allow human feeling to guide our blogging, not how many followers we get, or how funny something may be, or how irritated we are at something. If it comes at the feelings of others, it is better left un-blogged/un-commented.
I call upon the women of this Church to write the things of our truest hearts and souls and minds. To be the strong, intelligent, compassionate women we have the potential to be.
I call upon every blogging Mormon woman to write things that the late Sis. Hinckley would not be ashamed or saddened to read.
I call upon each of us to stand taller, to rise above the things that hold us down. Let us make a world where we may lift one another up, mourn with those that mourn, and rejoice with those who rejoice.
"Awake, my [daughters]; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust." -- 2 Ne 1:23
What about blogging men? :) I'm all the sudden thinking about the posts I've done, and if they were too harsh or blunt, etc. I'm sure that wasn't your point (to make one feel guilty), but it's a good reminder, so thank you.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. =) It seems to be less of a problem with men, but if it inspired you to be a better person, I'm glad. I'm sorry if I made you feel guilty!
ReplyDeleteI am not Mormon, but I also feel it is important to be honorable in all that we post! Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeletei'm really glad you posted this. i've been thinking about this so much lately... it's not only what we post or comment but what we say to our friends/husbands about people. it's easy to vent, disagree or roll our eyes behind closed doors. posting on a blog though? that takes it to a whole new level!
ReplyDeletethat being said. i have to remind myself that i'm blogging. i'm writing words and posting pictures are are free for the world to see. i can't expect everyone to love everything and i have to be able to take a certain amount of disgruntlement from the general public. and, oh well! i need tougher skin anyway... :)
aw liz, you're a gem. i honestly vent all the time in my blog! im guilty! but i love this post, it really made me think a lot about the importance of feeling like you are valued, and heard, and represented- without hurting others. it made me think of initiatories. if you get a chance to do em in the near future, one particular part of the annointing has been sticking with me and it relates to your blog post. thank you for always trying to be the best you can be, and for inspiring me to do that too.
ReplyDeleteAmen!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that you should post this right now because yesterday I was furious all day at a comment someone made on something I said on someone's facebook status (did that make sense??). They tore me down, made me look bad, and I wanted so badly to rip right back into them. It would have been easy and I had a million things I could've said to destroy their credibility. I even found myself thinking at one point "I don't even care if I'm friends with this person anymore, so why not speak up and tell them all the things that are wrong with them!?" I took a step back and realized how unkind and hypocritical I was being. If I was angry that they weren't respecting my opinion, how churlish would that have been to turn around and do the same thing back to them? It was hard, because I am far from perfect at holding my tongue, but I decided to say nothing back at all. Hopefully that is comment enough.
It's bad in the online world, I think, because we feel like we can say stuff without having to feel bad about seeing what our comments do to someone on their faces. We don't have to see someone's shocked, hurt expression when they read on our blog that "ANYONE who does 'this' or 'that' is a totally bad person," we can just spew out our judgements (right or wrong) and sit back, feeling satisfied about finally having our voices heard. It's dangerous.
I agree that women have a big problem with this, but MOMS are EVEN WORSE, let me tell you!!! It's a whole new world once kids and child-rearing are brought into the picture. Yikes.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
ReplyDeleteLove you!
I'm fortunate that all the blogs I read are positive... mainly because it's you and like 5 others! Haha.... anyway, thank you for your good words! being positive really is EASY. It's up to US if we are happy or not. Not anyone else :)
ReplyDeletep.s. that picture is amazing! i really love it a lot. why do i love it so much? maybe it's because i want her shirt. i really love that picture.
oh also. remember when you told me you and Jacob have that invisible butler? Well the other day Matt made a whiny sound and I was like "oh my gosh, did you hear that? there's a child in our home!" and for the rest of the day every time something odd happened we blamed it on the invisible child in our home. Like if there were crumbs in the bed.... or if i left my clothes on the ground....
ReplyDeleteYou're in touch with the the "Mormon Housewife Blog World"?!?
ReplyDeleteI miss you more than I can say!
much love,
Mom
XOXOXOXOXOXO
word verification: "zermed" - the drug I must take to stop missing you.
I'm not really in touch with the Mormon Housewife Blog World, but I have several friends who are and keep being hurt by it. I guess another solution would be to just exit the world (that's MY solution), but I like to think that humanity has the capacity to rise above hurtfulness, so that we don't HAVE to exit the world.
ReplyDeleteYou're awesome! I am LDS (Mormon), but not a housewife, and I blog for the sake of myself, not venting. You are so right, though. Thank you!
ReplyDeletei agree. i'm in. all for it. there is venting and then there is being mean. completely different fish.
ReplyDelete