Friends,Here on the #Fediverse, now more than ever -- if you're willing and able -- we need you to share the things that lift you up and help you keep going.If it sparks #joy, please, PLEASE share and continue sharing with the class in the coming weeks and months.If it brings a #smile to your face, consider sharing it no matter how small.If you chuckle at something in your daily life and tell yourself "oh that's so dumb, I better not post it", that's exactly when you SHOULD post it.If you think of a #DadJoke that could win awards for being so corny, it is your fiduciary duty as a #Fedizen to attempt to make us all groan at your #silliness.Some of my most popular toots were my most flippant #shitposts (in contrast to ones I've poured hours into crafting, that get a sympathy fav or two and then vanish into the ether..). It might feel awkward at first, but if you keep #shitposting it's like exercising muscles; it gets easier the more you do it. Consider exercising your big brain muscle and then barf the results here for all the world to see.I know #hashtags aren't as big here, and a lot of people are against them but I find them invaluable. (I do wish we had a bot that auto-generated a reply to posts with socially/contemporarily relevant hashtags.) Consider adding a contribution to #3GoodThings, or tuck a silly #shitpost in a bottle and toss it into the great and fascinating sea called the Fediverse. You might be surprised who might find it interesting.We need to flood the zone with #kindness and #happiness because I believe that's how we recharge our emotional reserves. In doing so, it helps us fortify ourselves against the onslaught of stormy weather that is our real-life world. (Or at least that's how *I* usually do it. [I recommend augmenting with generous doses of cannabis as needed. {consult your doctor first}])Having said all of this, it's important to remember we must strive to provide #empathy to our fellow passengers. For some of us, this is the closest we can get to #therapy. If people share their struggles and challenges, I implore all of us to remember that #kindness and understanding are radical acts of decency.Above all, protect yourself by blocking "early and often". You aren't obligated to continue hosting a visitor on your digital "porch". You can simply close the door. You don't even need to have a reason. It's *your* fucking door and there's nothing that says you're required to buy what they're selling -- especially if it feels like negativity. I can tell you with absolute certainty that I've never blocked someone and later thought, "oh gee, I shouldn't have blocked them so fast." It's generally the opposite.Alright, my friends. Today your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to brainstorm the corniest damned joke you can think of, and post it. Don't mull it over, don't worry about if it makes sense -- post it. Toot it. Bop it. Shake it. Twist it.Bring forth the moments and shitposts you wish to see in the world, each one a candle that lights our way on this long journey we call life.
