Checking yourself.

For my FB friends:

I have a confession.

Rather a sleazy salacious one.

I use FB not only for entertainment and education, but for my personal development.

Socrates paraphrased Plato- or vice versa- that ‘the unexamined life is not worth living’.

I would not have known that if I was not online.

I also would not know things about- not only other people all over the world, from different walks of life, different race colour and creed- if I were not here most days…

Nor would I really know myself.

I come from rather sordid stock.

My father was a man who was very unwell, and over the years, he debased and destroyed our family.

Maybe people here already know this. And it is not an uncommon story.

But over time I found out that- left unchecked- I am much like my father.

I can be a selfish prick. And a brute.

I’m sure many men can; but this is not about them.

It is about me.

I post here, often, about myself.

Self indulgence?

Maybe. But I hope a good kind. Because you do not want the unaccountable me.

As they used to say in the force, 'in need of constant supervision'.

In a flippant, ironic way.

If you knew me- you would know this is not so ironic.

I DO need to keep an eye on my self.

To ensure I do not express myself my Father did-

& the way I know I am capable of.

I don't want to end up alone, and unloved, unwanted like him, a victim of his own illness.

I check myself each day- what I am feeling, thinking- keeping an eye open for any personality flaws that might express themselves here or in the real world- flaws that might hurt others...

& I extinguish them, by exposing them.

Writing about them.

Talking about them.

One day at a time.

Like a kind of AA.

I examine my life, and how I deal with others…

Because you don’t want the other version of me.

The unchecked.

The untethered bad seed, wandering off into the world, oblivious to his behaviour.

It is not a pretty sight.

So I keep an eye on myself; & I post it here, honestly.

It keeps me accountable to my fellow man.

And it helps me.

Trust me, it helps me.

YOU help me.

I don’t need therapy.

I rely on the traditional methods of healing.

Like community.

Other people.  Like they used to in the old days, before we drifted apart, and became ALIENS.

So…for those friends here who come calling every so often to see what condition my condition is in…I thank you.

A better ME, is a better world.

You can trust me on this.

I my regimen of self examination does not piss you off.

If it does- you know what to do.

But I would not want to lose any of you.

Which is why I wanted to clarify this, for those who might not know.

I hope this treatise eases your doubts about what might to the uninformed seem like self indulgence & ego masturbation.

I would pray in some way it might encourage others to ‘take advantage’ of this wonderful opportunity afforded to us by this technology…

And do the same, if you feel you fall short.

‘The price of liberty is eternal vigilance’.

& if we are not going to be vigilant of ourselves…and our liberty…

Our personal accountability & responsibility…

then Big Brother will.

And that will NOT be as pretty as our little posts on FB.

Peace…

JWA