Lessons, old and new

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”  –  Theodore Roosevelt

This is one of the few quotes that I know. My brain just doesn’t memorize and remember these sorts of things very well. This was probably one of my issues with school, and certainly a trait that also also makes my movie recall pretty lame. Anyways, this one has sunk in over the past five to ten years, and I think that it surfaced in my evaluation of the effects of social media. It has really reared its ugly head again with the parenting of a fourteen year old daughter (with social media). Comparing one’s life to the highlight reel of another’s is a tragic misstep in the formation of esteem and self worth/value.  Millions of people are doing it every day, for hours on end, and the depression and anxiety that accompany it are exhausting souls across the world, often unknowingly. Is there a united push back against this epidemic? I can’t stand to seriously consider the long term effects this symptom of social media will have. It’s hard enough sometimes to keep myself from this crime of comparison. My own intimate experience with it will be a wonderful teaching tool as I walk my daughter through the same jungle.