October 20 & 21, 2023

[lizzybuffy2008]

20 – Information Overload Day: We've all likely suffered from this at some point in time, if not almost daily. What do you do to limit the flow of information coming to you? Do you put your phone on "Do Not Disturb"? Log out of your email client? Avoid social media? Read a book or go for a walk instead of watching the news?

I have my phone on "Do Not Disturb" from 9:00PM-5:00AM and I usually do not look at email after 7:00PM. Sadly, if there is not a big blue wave in our 2024 elections, I may have to give up Twitter (X,) most social media and news sites. Every day just seems to be a reminder that a good many people in the US think intelligence and progressive thinking are bad things and caring about your fellow humans, no matter their sex, race, religion, or sexual orientation makes you weak.

21 – International Walk to School Month: Did you walk to school as a child? Are parents today too over-protective to let their children walk to school?

No and honestly no. Most of the schools I went to as a child were too far away from home, but for a short while, I went to a school that was .5 miles away. I begged to be allowed to walk home, but on the second day was accosted and frightened by two men in a car, so never tried again. I was in 4th grade.

Comments

[kazzy_cee]

What a horrible thing to happen to you on your way home from school!

My kids all walked to school from around age 10, but they were with friends so I felt happier about that.

[lizzybuffy2008]

It was somewhat traumatic and very sad.

[twelvthdoctor]

I can relate completely where the elections/politics/crappy people are concerned. I've had to stay away from the news for a good while now. My mental health just can't take it anymore. Even fun, innocent pages on FB that were just hobby-related, things like Michigan photography/travel and the like, were ruined by people making comments with a "red" slant to them. Things that were completely unrelated (for example, someone making some snide comment about gas prices and Biden on someone's completely harmless post about favorite camping sites in Michigan, what the actual...?). I'm enjoying the internet less and less since circa 2016, probably before. This is maybe the safest corner of the internet for me right now, on DreamWidth.

[lizzybuffy2008]

I feel you. I am in some cooking groups on FB and every so often someone will go on a totally unhinged political rant about perceived "wokeness" in someone's comments about a recipe and I am just like wtf is wrong with you people? The MAGA/red cult of crazies have put me on my last nerve and like you, DW is really the only place I can get away from it.

[twelvthdoctor]

It blows my mind how they can insert "wokeness" and the "liberal agenda" into literally almost anything, and yet actual liberals are usually just going about their business with no hidden agenda or ulterior motive. Hi, hello, I came here to have fun. Even though I take politics extremely seriously, not everything I do is about it, and same goes for most people. I'm so sick of MAGA, Q-Anon, 1/6 deniers, Kyle R. defenders, and the like. It's still EVERYWHERE online. And of course in Michigan everyone wants to get not only on the Biden-blaming wagon, but also the Whitmer-blaming wagon. Admittedly, I am pro-life, but that is about where my conservativeness ends. Everything else I'm pretty far left. Election time (gubernatorial) was INSUFFERABLE last year.