The Problem with Depression and Social Media

What exactly do you say to someone who continually (or even randomly, in my case) posts or tweets serious statuses on their state of mind or feelings?

Here are a few responses that I've seen to some of these posts:

3. The occasional "It'll get better!!" positive, go-get-em, PSA style friend that, at the end of the day, has only good intentions for you.

2. Jokes. I'm going to make you laugh because you are depressed, which can sometimes work. If I joke with someone like that though, I'll always be sure to follow up with a "I hope things get better for you". It can be refreshing in some cases.

A comedian friend of mine sometimes has these slew of posts that make me worried for him. I hope he's simply ranting, but I do feel his pain, in a way. He could be struggling with depression. Especially when ALL of his comments are jokes from other people:

Status: Looking for a job. Any ideas?

Comments:
"Be a hooker!"

"LOL Yeah, be a hooker! It pays well! Or a stripper!"

Sure. He's a comedian. But ... none of the above is funny, nor is it appropriate. (Which, by the way, is probably one of the more extreme cases, but HAS happened). People avoid the real issues right in front of them and tend to joke at the expense of others because - they don't know what to say. Which brings me to my number one response ....

1. Nothing. Some people choose to say nothing. Which, in the above example, is actually MUCH better. But I feel as though people avoid it because they think everything will REALLY be okay. So instead, they fret over the statuses about a pet being sick or that TV show that everyone watches or what an asshole that guy at work was.

I can't speak for everyone with anxiety/depression, but I will say this -

We don't need your proverbs or prayers (though appreciated). We don't want your jokes or averted eye contact. We need/want genuine, honest people in our lives. Those that will say "Hey, let's go to the movies or grab coffee" or "Hey, I read this great book I think you'd like". Those are the people we want to be around.

It's okay if you don't always know what to say; sometimes I'm not sure what to say/do myself. But sometimes that smile from a stranger or the drink for no reason from a friend can make a day 100% better.

DISCLAIMER: Another curious problem with depression is posts like this - How many of you had the initial reaction of, "OH my God! Is she okay?? What's she going to do??"

Depression issues, bi-polar disorder, anxiety/panic attacks - these are all real things. Real things that people deal with everyday. I am one of those people. It's nothing to be alarmed about; I just choose to speak out about it. I wish more people would.

Harlem Shake

 I did a search on YouTube for the "original Harlem Shake" and this was the first thing that popped up.

-_______-'

Ok.

This was a few posts down:

HELL. YES!

I'm old enough to remember the Harlem Shake - I remember thinking how amazing it was, simply because I was known to sit in class and dance JUST by moving my shoulders. So, of course, this blew my mind. YES. Of course, it's New Yorkers that are bringing it. ;)

I am a dancer. Always will be. No matter how old I get, dance will forever live in my heart.

"My heart beats in eight count/ So you know I'll only be alive 'til it fade out/ While you was strugglin' with two left feet/ I was here becoming one with the beat/ It's the language of the soul, poetry in motion/ Call me Black Swan with the crazy locomotion.." (Nitty Scott MC/Statik Selektah, "Black Swan")

So, you can imagine my attitude toward all of the YouTube trends like Gangnam Style and all of these Harlem Shake videos. Some people are saying it's disrespectful to the original Harlem Shake, which I get completely.

BUT - here's what I see: Ignorance.

I'm not even sure if the majority of these people even REALIZE that there's an original Harlem Shake.

(Psst! You're doing it wrong!)

But that's all I see - ignorance. All these people want is a chance to be a part of the big trend of the month, which I honestly don't get. My own brother was in one of these videos and I had to giggle (he's not much of a dancer). But at the same time, I'm shaking my head like, "WTF IS this noise??"

And do people actually LIKE stuff like Gangnam Style? Because, honestly, it seems like everyone is making fun of this guy making K-Pop music. Maybe I'm wrong (wouldn't be the first time) but it seems like everyone has made a trend out of "copying" dances by making fun of them. Imitation is NOT always the best form of flattery. ;)

Meanwhile, in NYC --

(Shoutout to a project I've been following/backing for a long time - Flex is Kings):

Let me tell you something about some of these people dancing in New York - in Harlem, in BK, wherever - and listen closely, please:

They have something I wish EVERYONE had more of. They have something every dancer, no matter how great their technique is, wishes for every day they have a knee injury or look down at their bloody toes -- They have HEART. The will to keep moving, no matter WHAT the circumstances. Their stories are different; they dance to avoid the violence. Their moves embody everything that the quote above means to me. I would give anything to dance with these men. I tear up just watching the trailer!

They have heart.

They have soul.

They give ME a reason to keep moving, to keep dancing, to keep waking up everyday. It's powerful stuff and I KNOW for a fact not everyone can and will understand how I feel when I watch their bodies tell their stories.

All I can do is smile when I see those YouTube videos. I know true art when I see it. And those trends will die down quickly. But the true artists will continue on.

We have to do better, people. Use your creativity. Look past the trends and see the beauty surrounding you.

Ultimate (but quickly-put-together-without-thinking) Hip Hop Playlist

Happy Valentine's Day, lovers! I haven't posted in awhile, so what better way to celebrate this splendid Hallmark holiday than to listen to Hip Hop?! Yes? Yes??


......


*points to door*

Get out if you don't like it/can't handle it. I'm serious. :)

SO - I was looking through the songs on my playlist and started rearranging some of them in my head (I was a DJ in a past life....) and decided to make it a game: Try to put together a great Hip Hop playlist as quickly as possible, yet still try to make it flow! Some of these I quickly listened to the beginnings/endings of to get a feel (okay, that COULD be considered cheating), but I also ended up with a slight "Crazy, End of the World" title theme toward the end.

Anyway.. Enjoy. I might post all the titles on Twitter as well. Next to some of the listings, I may let you in on why I loved the song listed enough to put it on this list.

1. The Roots - "Double Trouble" (great opening....)

2. Random Axe - "Chewbacca" (again, great opening. For me, the opening bars are key, and then staying strong after, which I believe Random Axe manages to do throughout this whole album, though SOME - nonamesmentioned - may disagree)

3. Notorious B.I.G. - "Running Your Mouth" ("Where BK @?" #NextToQueens "Where BK @?" #NextToQueens "Where BK @?" #GetAMap)

4. Snoop Dogg - "Who Am I (What's My Name)?"

5. N.W.A. - "Chin Check" (Because. I can't think of anything witty, oddly enough. Lol #WhereComptonAt)

6. Mos Def - "Speed Law" (I imagine speeding on a Kawasaki on the freeway. Always. Yasiin Bey!)

7. Mobb Deep - "Shook Ones, Pt. II"

8. Method Man - "Release Yo' Delf" (This man has the ultimate horror scream down pat. My brother can scream like that - I remember him scaring the sh!t outta me growing up, jumping around the corner and doing the "RAAAAHHHGGGGHH!!!!" scream. WTFFFF?!!?!)

9. Busta Rhymes - "We Could Take It Outside"

10. Brother Ali - "Truth Is" (Great GREAT song. Used to play this with a friend back home... actually, this used to be my ringtone.)

11. Keith Murray - "Straight Loonie" ("Biddi-bla-ba-ba-ba, how ya like the Squad now? I'ma come down to represent the juveniles" <--- Love this line/delivery!!!)

12. KRS-One - "Step Into A World (Rapture's Delight)"

13. Killarmy - "Clash of the Titans" (Now we start getting into songs on my Chess playlist)

14.  DOOM - "Gazzillion Ear"

15. DJ Skane ft. RZA - "Why You Lookin At Me?" (This song isn't really well known. It's a different side of RZA that I really like :D)

16. Jean Grae, Pharoahe Monch, and Royce Da 5'9" - "Assassins" (I <3 Jeanie. And this song is a great ending to an awesome playlist!)

---> "They call me Jean McCoy, beast in thee employ
Deploy deplorable, through audible destructive actions, attractive decoy
Then pass it to Troy, after I'm passing your life over

He'll deliver it through river Styx, Hades
I'm cold, deliberate, ladies, my foes limited
Pray me some praise
Stay on your toes, villains, it's Grae and your day's whittling...."

My Valentine to you all is on this page: http://chekit.tumblr.com/post/17629000583/have-a-very-wu-tang-valentines-day 

Bah Humbug.

It is that time of year again - Mistletoe, candy canes, egg nog, trees, pretty wrapping paper, baked goods, and people being complete d!cks to each other.

What was that? Oh, you HAD to wait in line for a week for that free prize and extra TV with surround sound at the store that probably pays their employees minimum wage to deal with your BS? Oh, okay. I get it now! Completely understand.

Actually, I don't. So, let's go over this one more time:

Thanksgiving is the day we give thanks for everything that we already have - family, friends, a roof over our head (some don't even have that much). But the VERY next day, sometimes not even the next day!, (later that night?) we become beasts of corporate America and demand even more stuff because - it's on sale. IT'S ON SALE!! Holiday tradition! Must. Go. Shopping. Day. After. Giving. Thanks. Move over, old lady - you, MA'AM, are in my way! I will hurt you if you grab that last toy off the shelf!

See? I just don't get it. Not only do I not get the Black Friday tradition, but I also don't get why some people really have it in their heads that that is the ONLY day that sales are available. I, myself, am a procrastinator when it comes to buying gifts and I know this is not true. In fact, Cyber Monday is even better. People are pretty blinded though.

I will tell you this - Those sales are off and on from now until Christmas (and of course, the best is after!) The only reason you are suckered into Black Friday deals is that they advertise WAY more and they usually offer an incentive to shopping on that particular day. Like being run over, or hit by a drunk driver, or being maimed in the parking lot. Other than that, it's the same shit.

Next Black Friday, I want to do something. I want to go into a store and find the most depressed looking employee - the one that probably drank an hour before working - and buy them one of the "ONE DAY SALE CLEARANCE SHITSTORM ITEM!!!1111"

And then I'll buy them a baseball bat so they can take it out in the parking lot and beat the HELL out of it, Office Space style.

:)

'Tis the season.

#NationalComingOutDay

20th Century:

1920 - The 19th Amendment grants women the right to vote.

1950-1980s - Civil Rights Movements develop worldwide - Ireland, Africa, United States - everyone wanting and fighting for equal rights.

1969 - Riots in Greenwich Village, NYC at Stonewall Inn begin - the LGBTQ community fed up with police raids.

21st Century:

Bullying is in full effect - at school, on the Internet, at home even. Racism, Sexism and Homophobes still exist strongly to this day, despite the courageous acts and the fights that were won in the 20th century. We will never beat any of this with the mentality of, "Where is MY day? Why do THEY get a month of their own? THAT group has many days!" (Note: I have heard this many times)

You want a day? Make one for yourself. Celebrate your own life, your own way. No one is stopping you! But please, do not look down on those around you. Those that are different. You don't know their personal struggle. Maybe a day like National Coming Out Day makes them happier.

Today is National Coming Out Day - it IS a day for everyone! Come out as an ally. Or a mental warrior. Shit, be a Superhero for a day! Smile at someone you would normally turn away from.

We will never all be the same. We will never all get along. But respect can go a long way.

Today, I'm coming out as .... Human.

#Respect #OneLove

Maybe You Could Call Me?

So .... Yeah. I finally listened to the popular song "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen. I knew that the "..Call Me Maybe?" phrase was/is a quickly circulating meme and also knew of the song but only because of all the memes. -__-

Heheheheh... That one IS funny.

Awwwwww!!! Es kitteh! Yes, kitteh, I shall pet youz!

.... too soon?

-____-  

(This girl has a bunch of memes. All are creepsy)


But what IS this, exactly?

According to knowyourmeme.com, "The chorus of the song spawned a number of image macros featuring altered captions of the lyrics, using the following snowclone construction: 'Hey I Just Met You, And This is Crazy / But I’m Your X, So Y Me Maybe?'" (Snowclone Captions)

 I had to look up what a Snowclone is - http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/snowclones

I will never fully understand this (or the song) and why a song can spawn so many of them, but... whatever.

Personally, I like the Socially Awkward Penguin.

...This.

The Day My Favorite Rapper Followed Me on Twitter (And Then Unfollowed Me)

I was down in the basement doing laundry, posting on Twitter and listening to music on my iPhone. *Buzz* I stared at the screen for a good ten minutes before realizing that I DID read that Twitter notification correctly: "Jean Grae is now following you!"

My first reaction was amazement.

"What did I... What did I say?? Is it my Superhero alias name? My cute face? My absolutely hilarious posts?" (No.)

At that moment, I vowed to never Tweet again. How could I? She could now see all of my posts on her feed. That scared me. I'm witty, but not Jean Grae witty. Sure, we could now be twinsies or besties but Christ - she's fucking intelligent. I can't keep up. I'd need to step up my Tweets a bit.

It took me a day or two to really get back into Tweeting. I knew that JG didn't follow just ANYONE. This thought immediately made my head swell. She thinks I'm fucking COOL AS HELL. This is so awesome! We can be Superheroes together! *High-Five*

Once I finally got the courage to start posting again, I noticed just how often I re-Tweet and favorited her posts. GREAT. This wouldn't be bad really if it weren't for the fact that I swear Jean and I were twins in a past life (or some similar, lame fan shit like that) and I had something witty to say to EVERY SINGLE TWEET of hers. I knew for a fact that she would giggle at each and every one of my responses. (No.)

I tried really hard not to reply to the Tweets but I was starting to Tweet Twitch. (This should be a thing, a pound sign thingy, or whatever)

A few weeks later, I'm reading one of her posts and I noticed it didn't say she was following me.

o_O

That's ... weird. (No... it's really not.)

I go to her page and it doesn't say it either (because, obviously, it was still a Twitter mistake). I go to my list of followers (the number rapidly going down, due to my amazing Tweets) and, sure enough, she's gone. For a second, my heart was broken. I thought, "What? What..?! ...The The. Fuck Fuck." (See? Witty. As. Hell) I felt like a helium balloon that was let go by the kid with too many other important things to carry like bubbles and pinwheels an--

Then I came back to reality. WHY the HELL would she follow YOU (I was looking in the mirror) to begin with?? Really? Bwahahahahahahahahah!!

Jean Grae snapped me out of it. She virtually said, "No, bitch. Just. No." (It was probably more of a "La-la laaaaa-- Who the hell is this? I don't know her. Ah well. Unfollow.")

*In baby whisper voice*

Jean Gwae... Don't go... don't go, Jean Gweasy.... Don't...

------------------

*This is my introduction to my new blog and something to remember: We are fans of someone or something for a reason. They are the "something special" we are "FANS". ;) My posts will be mostly social media related, but remember to not get caught up in the online madness. Go outside. Or something.  Go to your local library. Read a book. But not online. Read an actual book. A book made from trees.

----> I would also like to add that her following me was probably the worst day of my life. Lol. I was like Troy from Community when he met his hero, LeVar Burton:

Thanks to a friend and co-worker for his "What? What?" joke (for those that don't know, Jean used to go by the stage name What? What?).

And thanks to Jean Grae for being inspiration for my first post on a blog that I've been dwelling over since I first read some of her hilarious Tweets. <3

......

#TweetTwitch