Renee TarantowskiJan 9, 2018

My Manifesto

Today on FB, an old friend commented that he wasn't going to comment to keep our "Facebook Friendship".

I found this interesting.  A Facebook Friendship.  I'd never heard of that and thought it might be similiar to the "Minnesota Nice" concept.  You know, they talk nice to your face but then belittle in hushed and not so hushed tones.  I did not make it up but when someone told me about Minnesota Nice it made complete sense to me--not necessarily the Minnesota part but the two-faced persons that we must deal with.

I posted on how wonderful I though Oprah's speech was.  She was the perfect person to give that speech at this time.  I aspire to write like that and express myself in such a concise and moving way. I felt as if I could have given the speech myself.

Then I get this comment on my feed.

This is my reply.  It is my personal mission, my voice, my manifesto:

Our friendship is rooted in compassion and understanding. You can go ahead and think I'm full of shit--you won't be the only one thinking that. Much of what Oprah said I could have said myself. So if you are righteously "saving" our friendship, don't. This goes for anyone in my feed--unfriend me now!

The rest of my life is going to be about inviting people into a space of love, kindness, compassion and curiosity--without judgement. We are all one and we are all walking each other home. I respect that you may take a different route than I, and I encourage and welcome that same respect.

And so it is.

Until we meet again.


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