Somehow, throughout the course of my life, I have always found myself in professions, social circles, churches and such that were somehow controversial. Some would say that is all par for the course for the artist in me. I'm not sure. Does is matter?
You should know that it is also the artist in me that finds it hard to sit down and put all my thoughts together in written form. I don't claim to have a wealth of degrees and initials behind my name. Blogging, regardless of what a powerful tool it has become, is really just thinking out loud. You don't need a degree to do it. Some people get paid to blog and I think that is cool. Some people just need a place to voice and that is cool too. Some people just need a place where they can keep their friends and family updated with photos and stories and they feel a blog is a safer bet for that than Facebook. I think they are probably right.
The internet has changed all of our lives. Videos and stories go "viral" within seconds and the pressure to get a story or a thought out there is ever mounting for those who want to reach the world with the written word. It's no wonder that we now need to consult Snopes and other urban legend fact checkers when a story goes around. Anyone.....anywhere.....anytime can yell FIRE on a crowded internet and cause a stampede. But words are powerful. People believe them. People spend hours on the internet reading and researching whether it be about something they wish to know more about, or just browsing headlines during their mundane job.
In the birth world, stampedes have become rampant. I am amazed at the stories I read and the opinions that follow in the comment section. People feel free to say anything. I do. Only a few of you who read this blog know me and chances are, I will never have to face the majority of my readers. It's power, really. Anyone can gain a little power with a blog, a Facebook page, a Twitter account, etc.
Not too long ago I was saddened to read a blog about birth whose tagline boasted a convergence of nature and science. In fact, a Certified Nurse Midwife from my very own state of NC was a featured author on that blog making it very clear that homebirth with anyone other than a CNM was dangerous and something to beware. Upon clicking on further links in that blog, I found articles that were openly bashing the natural birth community as a whole. Let me clarify....not just the homebirth community, but the NATURAL birth community(hospital, birth center or otherwise). What? Wait a minute. YOU ARE A MIDWIFE! How in the world can you contribute to a blog that would say such things about women? Who in the world would trust you? But people do. I'm as astonished that people trust her as she is that people would trust anyone with less education than she has. The blog looked like it could have been authored by Dr. Amy Tutuer herself(if you aren't sure of who I am talking about think Perez Hilton goes OB/GYN). In fact, there is no identity on that blog at all. It says it is just a group of concerned people who want truth and justice for all. Right.
Let's just be honest for a bit. Social media, blogging, tweeting, etc. is all for SHOW. Yes, the cause may be worthy and good, but the point is to get your attention. There are classes that you pay good money for that will tell you how to market yourself using social media and things like it. And most of it is free! Just by writing this blog, my website hits will go through the ROOF!
But beauty.....or ugliness....is always in the eye of the beholder. I know why the midwife posted an article on that page. She wants to get attention and make her point. At last check, there were 489 people who agreed with her enough to click the "like" button. That's a lot of exposure.
You see, I....along with other bloggers....know that someone, maybe even multiple people will talk about what we are saying. Talk is good. Ask any celebrity public relations person and they will tell you that ANY publicity, even negative, is good publicity when you want exposure.
A while back I wrote about breastfeeding and a popular scheduling technique used by many churches. I wrote that with a purpose. I knew it would make people talk. I knew it would raise awareness. My motives were good and I know that. But you, the reader, unless you know me, have no idea what my motives are. Let the beholder beware.
So when you, like me, come across a blog or an article that infuriates you, excites you, bewilders you, or makes you Google your brains out looking for more....remember that is the purpose. Truth lies in the eye of the beholder for it is the beholder that will ultimately decipher and decide what information is worthy. And all the statistics, counter points, studies and articles that refute what those people say will not phase them or their cause. For every person who hates what someone says, there are plenty of people who love it and can't wait to read more.
The beauty of it is, those of us with good motives are just as passionate and committed as those with ugly motives. We won't be stopped any more than they will. And the followers of all of the philosophies will argue their points until the end of time. As long as humans exist, so will controversy.
So how do you know who is good or bad.....right or wrong....truth or fiction? I can only tell you what I believe. Truth is truth. I decide based on my experience and my research.....not what someone tells me. I, as the beholder, look at the communicator as a whole. Does their information seem to have the motive to truly help or enlighten people? The biggest change agents of our time....even those who spoke against injustice at the cost of their own freedom, always kept their integrity intact. Their days were not spent trying to criticize and stamp out those who they saw as the enemies of truth. They spoke boldly about lies, then offered a better way. That is the difference between a reformer versus a politician....a reporter versus a gossip columnist......a challenger versus an opponent.
You, my fair reader, are the judge and jury. May you judge, convict or acquit wisely. Or perhaps you will just Google and move on...........
