A Call to Action

Another ‘Day’, another blog! 

I’ve been pretty busy writing but not for the blog, I was fortunate to get printed! So thank to Travellers’ Voice and all of you for the comments that’s made me want to keep writing, it means a lot!

So I’ve seen International Men’s Day campaigns that include many men’s stories, which is great! One particular campaign showed men posing for their Instagram, or Twitter selfies with hashtags that gave their followers a sense of their perfect lives – #Perfectfamily. #Bestdayever. #Happy. #Livingthedream. #Lifegoals.

The campaign then reveals that the men, who are smiling with their families, showing off their incredible physiques or expensive belongings actually took their lives weeks after those posts.

One thing that I’ve had happen to me, on many occasion is that people tell me that I have “the perfect life”, and this has made me and Chloe think about how we portray ourselves on social media. We have a *happy* life I think, yeah, I am annoying asshole to be around sometimes, and when I’m in a dark spot, and I am stubborn, petty, lose patience with Noah and THE STUPID ‘DADDY FINGERS’ VIDEOS THAT HAVE CRYING BABIES ON LOOP and plenty of other things, but we definitely don’t fit in to the ‘perfect’ category.

I remember back when people were on MySpace or MSN Messenger, (I know, right?) and posted bulletins with lyrics that let people know how they felt, and a lot of the time they were really dark words that people were using to find a friend to talk to. We also have changed to make our friends to think that “my life is perfect too” and the feeling of needing to keep up the facade of a ‘perfect life’ because you feel that people only follow you on Facebook to watch you slip up. Instead of being truthful, and being able to live without social pressure and anxiety/paranoia always in your mind.

So I’m going to talk to everyone, a call of action to the protectors of your houses and realms, (Game of Thrones withdrawal there, sorry) who need to also protect themselves, (and obviously not just men).

Be truthful. Use real hashtags that describe how you’re feeling behind the pictures.

#Ineedamate #Mykidsdomyheadin #Imnothappy #Needtotalk #Ineedhelp #Iamfeelinglow #Ifeeldown for example.

I’ve always felt that being open about mental health is important for people to find help to work with and live with their mental illnesses, as 1 in 4 people has one, and they lead to many, many suicides yearly.

It is time to talk to your friends and family. Be there for them, ask them how they are feeling, whoever they are, it could be exactly what they needed.

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