Moving to a Better Place

Usually my Facebook feed is quiet and mundane, with friends posting innocuous and unobjectionable things about their lives and their children's lives.  I like it that way.  It allows me to keep up with everyone and keep as much controversy as possible out of my leisure time.

This week, however, my Facebook feed has exploded.

There are two subjects that are coming up over and over on my feed, and people are either on one side or the other.  There is no middle ground it seems.

The first controversial subject is the death of Robin Williams.  Posts are either public service announcements about understanding and seeking help for depression or comments on several public figures' alleged inappropriate comments in the wake of revelations following Mr. Williams' death.  (I have not read these comments and cannot and will not comment on them.  I have no intention of seeking them out just to do so either.  As I said, I prefer to keep as much controversy as possible out of my leisure time.)

The other subject that has everyone talking this week is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, or one of a number of disorders under the umbrella description of Motor Neuron Disease).  Many of the Ice Bucket Challenge posts are of friends/family participating in the challenge by dumping buckets of ice and ice water over their heads.  But still others are opinion pieces on how stupid the challenge is and how and why people should not participate in the Challenge and instead should just donate money to the charity of their choice quietly and anonymously.

I have no real comment on either subject.  I have enjoyed watching the Ice Bucket Challenge videos, and I particularly like Team Gleason's "Naked Ice Bucket Challenge."  I have nothing to say regarding Robin Williams' death and/or depression that has not already been said, and as I mentioned, I have not read the allegedly disgusting remarks any number of media personalities have made in response to that.

I just find it quite interesting that the two things that have polarized my Facebook community are the kind of thing that one can avoid if they really wanted to.  The controversy seems to be simply for controversy's sake.  It's almost as if everyone everywhere has come down with a major attack of collective trolling.  And it's not even as if the trolling is necessary.  If people want to dump ice on their heads and donate to ALS research or any charity, what difference does it make that they have announced they have done so?  How is that any different than my posts that I have made gingerbread-marshmallow sandwich cookies to celebrate Christmas in July?  If you don't care about it, just don't read it.  Or hide my posts!

Similarly, any objections to comments made by media personalities can be just as easily ignored.  I long ago decided to stop listening to or seeking out comments made by people who have proven themselves to be idiots, and that includes Rush Limbaugh and the leaders of the Westboro Baptist Church.

A book of advice I have suggests that to be happy, one should:

Figure out where you want to live and go live there.

Everything else will follow.

(Normal Is Just a Setting on the Dryer by Adair Lara)

I want to live in a place where the likes of Rush Limbaugh and the leaders of the Westboro Baptist Church do not exist, so I have moved there, by completely ignoring them.  It's a really great place to live.  Come join me!