Using My Words

Most days, I write.

Some days, it's a Facebook status update or a Tweet or two.

Some days, it's a blog post.

Many days, it's a news story.

I like writing. I'm lucky that I get paid to do it (though not for this - it's free and you're welcome, lurkers).

But something happened recently that made me think I need to do something to make what I write mean more. What if this was the very last thing I wrote? Like this:

Rapper Heavy D Tweeted that and then he died.

DEAD.

I don't mean he keeled over as soon as he sent that, but he died on November 9. That was the last thing he sent the world. Don't believe me? Look for yourself.

So, that made me realize how unprofound I am (and if that's not proper English, I don't care). Here are a sampling of some recent Tweets:

Yeah. Those could have been my last words. Don't go calling any suicide hot lines. I'm not planning on offing myself. In fact, I plan to be here for at least a few more decades (I am planning my muumuu future, after all). But something could have happened. That's how I would have been remembered.

I pledge to try to be a little more mindful of what I put out there because what's on the interwebs lives forever. I won't always be serious, but I will write what I mean. It's how I want to be remembered. I challenge all of you who read this go back and look at what you've written. I especially would like those of you who always post sad face comments on places like Facebook (I want to unfriend you, but don't want to have to hear that you got sad/angry about it) to think about what you've posted. Would you want it to be the last thing you put out there to be how you're remembered?

We all have a bad day and sometimes we just want people to tell us how great we are or that it will get better. But, please, go back and write an update so people know you're not standing some place really high about to take one final leap. And if that's where you are, ask for help. There's nothing worse than reading someone's final words and wondering what you could have done differently. It's what Heavy D would have wanted.