I am mad.
This beautiful thing we live on called the inter webs is such a tricky place. It leave us all faceless. It makes conversations meaningless because what else do I need to say after you check my facebook, twitter and blog. The question : "What did you do today?" become obsolete.
More than that though I feel like there is a new war out there. It is not a war we fight with guns or solders but something much worse. Words. For an anonymous faceless screen name out there in inter webs land there are no consequences for cruelty. Sadly, this leads these people to run free with hate. I know I am not alone in the hateful online bashing, and whether we deserve it or not these things follow us forever.
I believe that everyone is allowed to have an opinion. Opinions are good. They make life interesting. What is not good is when people think that their right to an opinion is also their right to bash other living, breathing human beings. That is not an opinion. That is cruel and unnecessary hatred.
This week I was thrilled when I was chosen to chat live with the world as the official Twitter Rockette! What was not so thrilling is when the PR people who were reading me the tweets were bombarded with hateful messages for me over and over again from the SAME lamely named scree name. Not only does this reflect poorly on me, it wasted precious time that I could have been using to answer honest dance + Rockette fans questions about the show. I have no problem with you not liking me-I am not every one's cup of green tea. But it is 2009 people, really, are we still harassing me like it was 2006? Unfair.
Worse yet, is when I see people commenting on what a terrible dancer I am and that their little 8 year old sister could do better. I challenge all of you to a danceoff. I am serious. Come out behind your screen name and anonymous computer life and let's go. Kick for kick and turn for turn. Then let's place our resumes side by side and see who has more credits, more jobs and more friends who love them and think they are the cats meow in this industry. Biggest lesson you need to learn: Talent is about 10% of dancelife. Really. I know that I am not the greatest dancer technically, however, the other 90% of having a really kickass dance career is drive, determination, being KIND to people, having a positive attitude, and having enough of the people who matter like you and want to hire you over and over again.
It is one thing to insult my nose, my spelling, my choice of clothes, my choice of music, who I date, who I don't date ect. Do not even go near my career. It is all I have and all I am.
And while you are at it you can stop harassing my friends. Like this woman. In the 15 plus years I have known her I have never heard her say anything bad about any other human. She is kind. Original. Kickass. She has been so supportive of me. Supportive of everyone around her. She deserves ALL the stars that are coming her way. If you are not touched by her work than you obviously have no heart.
Life is short. There are way better things to do with your time than read crappy gossip sites. There are better truths out there than the ones anonymous are spreading around. Negativity is a wildfire, it spreads rapidly once it is ignited. Choose love. Choose peace. Choose to see the things that you might not like, and try to understand them. Be compassionate towards others. Everybody is someones best friend. Someones sister. The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers.
Now I will got eat ketchup chips until I feel less mad.
“If you and I are having a single thought of violence or hatred against anyone in the world at this moment, we are contributing to the wounding of the world...”
Deepak Chopra
