Do Something

Hi folks. Me again. I’m not here to post new fiction or give updates on anything. I’m just here to talk with you. Pull up a chair. Relax. Hell, pour a glass of wine and prop your feet up. There’s something I want to share with you.

You’ve all seen me post about the fun that I’ve had on Twitter. There have been anecdotes and screen shots of interactions with some pretty amazing (and pretty bizarre) folks out there on the interwebz. Two of my best friends were met online, actually. One is still too far away for a visit, though we’ve been close for about six years now (CJ, honey, we’re old). The other has come to my house and had me over hers multiple times. I’ve got a ton of people that, over the course of the past however long, have become very important in my life. I’m talking about you reading this, too, whether we’ve been chatting for years or we’ve only just run into each other.

One of the most amazing things I’ve seen as I’ve bounced from place to place on the web is the impact we all have on each other. Yes, some of us have been lucky enough to forge powerful friendships, make professional connections, date, or just goof off with people who share common interests. Beyond that, though, is the truly remarkable power of strangers.

Twitter is home to all sorts of folks doing all manner of things (some of which will not be repeated on this website because, damn it, I’m a lady and the internet is scary). Recently, something’s happened that’s really moved me and a lot of other people.

Aside from being the daughter of a former Marvel artist, I tend to gravitate toward Marvel because I just really love the films that have been coming out. I mean, come on. One of the neat things about Twitter is that you can connect with people of similar interests, and I’ve been finding all sorts of characters there from The Avengers. Specifically, I found Thor and discovered, quite by accident, that Thor was just really, really nice. Something began not long ago that was dubbed #HugArmy. This Hug Army is a really simple collective of people who, using the #HugArmy hash tag on Twitter, offer their anonymous support. Someone will reach out and mention that they’re upset, or they’re having a rough time, or something bad has happened, and within minutes they’re receiving messages of encouragement, hope, and support from other users, often from users who have never interacted with them before.

The power of a friend is unparallelled, but the power of strangers is a pretty spectacular thing as well. Seeing a group of people with no other connection than a searchable tag coming together to support people they don’t know is an awesome thing. It’s made me think about how we react to people that we see every day. We don’t have to know them personally. They might be yawning behind a counter at the market, shivering in a toll booth on the thruway while we count out our change, sitting just a few cubicles away with tiny paperclip sculptures littering their desks… you get the picture. We come into contact with a lot of people in our lives, and without knowing them, we aren’t always sure how they’re feeling. Maybe that woman was snippy because her mother is dying. Maybe that man cut us off because he’s rushing to his second job. Maybe that girl isn’t smiling at us because she just had her heart broken for the first time. Maybe that boy has an attitude because his family turned their backs on him for coming out. The bottom line is that we don’t know.

What I’m asking of you, since you’ve been kind enough to read this whole post, is to think about these things, and think about the impact that you, a stranger, can have on someone else simply by offering them encouragement. You don’t have to hug everyone you see, but do what the Hug Army does: take a little bit of time out of your life to tell someone that they matter. Say hello to someone you wouldn’t normally greet. Remind an old friend why they mean so much to you. Offer a smile to someone who doesn’t look happy. Invite someone to sit at your table when the cafe is full. Just be good to each other.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, this very well could be your last year on earth. It doesn’t matter if the Mayan apocalypse or Snowpocalypse or the Zombie Apocalypse are coming. You don’t know how much time you have on this pretty blue marble. Neither does anyone else. Take a little bit of time out of your day to give someone a smile. If you’re comfortable with it, give someone a hug (assuming that they have neither personal space issues nor poor hygiene). Let someone know that you care that they’re alive and sharing the planet with you.

If you want to talk to me about anything, I’m here. Sometimes life gets away from me and I’m overwhelmed, but I’ll always get back to you. You can leave me a message here, you can follow me on Twitter, or you can email me. If you don’t have my email address, leave me a comment here and we’ll connect.

It’s a simple thing. Just try to make someone’s life better. You have no idea what a magnificent effect it can have.