The Stairs Between

It's one thing to proudly realize I've finally matured to some degree because I am now filtering the things I choose to say with more thought. I am a fiercely loyal person and daily have to take into consideration the way I present the people in my life, as well as myself.

Blogging taught me to realize that I may not say something offensive, political, or religious, and I can still offend or put someone at risk. What I see in the stories I have of my refugee clients is very different than what someone would see with a very different political and religious perspective than my own.

The same goes for any story I share, any insight into my world. A friend recently jokingly told Branson that I shared mean things about him on Twitter. I laughed when Branson first told me this, then stopped to consider what I shared. I shared what I thought was funny or absurd-little things Branson would say that made me laugh out loud. I realized afterward that if you can't see my love in my tweets, you could see sarcasm, snideness, patronizing, jeering, belittling.

I never want to leave room in my words for any of those things to even be perceived.

I cannot control the perspectives of others, but I can control what I put out their for them to perceive.

I realized I've matured to some degree because I have begun to thoughtfully filter the thoughts that I share. I also realized that I have a long way to go, because I forgot that others may not have that same filter.

You can't control what others share, but you can control your own sharing. Never take it for face value that you share the same filter.