EVERY once in a while, juicy stories with sex splashed in bold strokes grab our collective attention, and with it, we expose who we are.
It was past midnight, I took a break and looked at the feeds on my Facebook, the latest of which was the series of screenshots accompanying a post by someone I don't know. Even before I could read it all, my journo instinct kicked in and I knew this was going viral.
True enough, posts upon posts followed. Maybe it's the circle I keep or maybe it was everyone -- the posts hinting at having read the whole posts including the screenshots were all humorous, mostly about the timing of the post and how they had to read through the lengthy post and the blurry screenshots until way past midnight.
But the comments were something else.
I can only groan at the burden on parents and guardians raising young ones in this age of communication.
Admit it, boomers and Xers, we were born lucky. We were allowed to make all our mistakes in our youth without the condemning eyes of social media.
Indiscretions are not unique to today's young generations, except that in our time, they were talked about in whispers and hidden through knowing eyes among our colleagues, acquaintances, and maybe as many as schoolmates and the other school. That scale was already appaling. But, today, that becomes a speck of dust to how indiscretions are shared and bashed repeatedly in social media by the whole nation and beyond.
I can only cry for the victim. I don't think I have the gumption to make it past such public shaming. But as we are always reminded: Everything that's happening in a person's life is that person's fault and no one else's.
The Catholics should know that ny hearts -- if they take to heart what's being said during the Holy Mass. It's there at the very start, the Penitential Act, where the congregation declares: I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned through my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault...
That said, and remembering how this latest feast for the charlatans played out, let this be a call to all parents and parents-to-be, to educate your children as soon as they're able to hold a gadget. Not on how to use it, but on virtues. With virtues becoming part of family discussions early in life complemented by reminders on mindfulness and discernment, your kids can navigate through life's temptations, challenges, and vicissitudes.
Most of all, he or she will be one less person bashing someone else on social media.
"Grace is like the lapping water of a stream. It might ebb and flow, but it never stops spreading its message of kindness." I've been trying to find who first wrote or said this, but have so far failed. It's still a lovely quote for times like this.
Stella is a Pranic Healing educator and an Arhatic Yoga practitioner. Email: saestremera@gmail.com, fb: /saestremera, IG: @saestremera
