The Fine Line

For a large part of my life I had what many considered (with good reason) a "short fuse".  Now, when you've got a fuse so short it'll go off quicker than a hiccup, it stands to reason that the end result of that mini-explosion is often far from pretty. If you ever meet any of my kids, all you need to do is ask them about chocolate long johns.  Once they stop laughing they will relate a daddy temper story that will pretty near wet your pants from laughing so much.

Now couple a short fuse with a temperment that at times gets excessively passionate (and I don't mean romantically) about politics, patriotism, good vs. evil, causes, and dislikes of pervsion, ignorant stupidity, etc.,  and it's a perfect set up for not only shooting ones self in the foot, but for making a complete fool of ones self....in the present case, me.

I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook and other forms of social media.  I use them, but I really, really, really have to watch myself when I go "there".  Because I have found that there is a very fine line between indignation, healthy anger, righteous anger, nasty anger, and just plain being white hot anger....and I can experience any (or all) of those simply by treading into the world village called Facebook. 

For example:  It is really hard for me NOT to make a comment when someone tells the world that "little Johnny just came in out of the snow and boy is he tired", or similar trivial stuff that no one really cares about, or when they consistently post those "look at me" pictures of themselves.  Those are one example of those times when I really want to make a comment like "who really cares" or something similar.  Maybe it's true, but would that comment really be appropriate or even necessary?  And, being a very conservative christian old school patriotic flag waving red blooded '60's era American you can imagine how I really want to react when I see some of the stuff put on by what I lovingly refer to as "flaming liberals".  Danger zone for the old boy there.

My whole point in all this is THE FINE LINE.  Along this rocky road of life we are all given to tread, there are more than enough pitfalls, obstacles, and obstructions we have to face.  What guys like me don't need is to be making conscious choices to cross that fine line.  Why?  Because there is nothing really to be gained by crossing that fine line, for in doing so I will reveal a side of me that can be vile, nasty, sarcastic, hurtful, spiteful, and relationally damaging.

Oh, did I happen to mention that the fine line is the same line I often have to tread in my daily relationships with family, friends, associates, and folks I don't even know?  See...it's not just on Facebook and other social media outlets....it applies in every aspect of my relational life.  It is so easy, and at times tempting, to not think and cross that fine line....and when that happens I have proven once again just how broken a person I am.  God help me.