Do you remember that song,

“I always feel like somebody’s watching me
And I have no privacy
I always feel like somebody’s watching me
Tell me is it just a dream?”

Of course you do. It is by Michael Jackson. I for one am in favour of Michael Jackson. I read his storey when I was a teen. I think it was even before all those crazy allegations. But that is all beside the point. It seems like he was foreshadowing our World as we have come to know it these days. Yes we invite it into our lives on social media. It is hard to know who is truly a friend and who is just tagging along to see what they can use to feed the frenzy. It makes sense…at least to me. Take facebook for example it is either used as a tool to keep us informed of our loved ones and families. but it is also used as a tool to feed jealousy and hate. I don’t think that I have ever used Facebook for that purpose. It was a different time for me. I think I was 25 when I was first exposed it so like 25 years ago. At the time I hated it because it seemed to be away for every girl under the sun to let my boyfriend know they were interested. It also became an issue especially in nightclubs as photographers took to the night life to gain attention and publicity. Unless of course your man was in the background chatting up a chick but who cares about confidentiality and freedom right. We sold all of our souls to the devil when we took on social media. Everybody wants to get famous no matter who they stomp on on the way up. You have to be able to Unfriend and Unfollow when the toxicity level gets to high. It’s nothing personal, unless it shouldn’t be.

Personal pages should have been used for just that. Friends and family that support you in your victories and pick you up when you are down. It shouldn’t be used as a tool to undermine somebody efforts especially when they have been working hard over the years to try and make the World better. At least for them. At 40 it’s time. It’s time to take control of my life and stop hiding under a rock. For years I have hibernated saving myself for bursts of energy throughout my community and outside as I travelled to see the World.  My courage came from a place that had to keep trying to find like minded individuals who like me wanted to see more sunny days then to throw stones. I am taking control of me again. I am more than friends on Facebook who to the World seem like they support me but there are ears behind every tree and they carry your whispers right to me. Imagine how many more do the same. Not to me but to everybody out there. The wolf wrapped in sheep clothing is always exposed. Usually by the company they keep. Like minded minds keep the company of each other. Only they can tolerate who they have become. I am not pointing in any direction. Just a social media generaliztion that if you let it take a hold of you it will do just that. The World is wicked and we all need a safe place free of that.

Unfriend, unfollow, delete, block. Your reality is that your own personal well being should mean more to you than a number count. Those that wish you harm can do it wrapped up in a neat little package tied with a bow. It happens. People happen. We are not all meant to get along. What we all should do is be cordial and polite and respect each other while in public. Nobody said we all have to be friends but we should all certainly get along. Aren’t we all coming from the same place? Now I am talking about the Pin-Up community I belong too. I am curious though. Isn’t the basis why we all turned to dressing up in this genre and style was because we were tired of the rest of the World treating us like such.  Do you even hear yourself talk amongst each other? One of the first outings that I ever went out on I watched one Pin-Up attack another. A line was drawn in the sand and the ultimatum was basically made. If you were a friend of one you couldn’t be a friend of another. And I am ashamed to say it has gotten worse. Our Pin-Up community is small to begin with. We should all be coming together because we should all have similiar goals.  What drew me to dressing in Pin-up full time was the idea that we were a friend to all. No matter the history or background we were all welcomed. Imagine my shock (my continued shock) that nothing has changed. This is why I have dove right in to try and encourage everybody to build each other up. All slates are clean at least in my eyes. I want us to be a strong sisterhood again. Regardless of our size, age or status.

In general I think it is easy to see those that should be deleted from your “social” life. We can’t really help who it is we run into in the streets or even at functions. You can though stop them from having a tabs on your life. It hurts. It hurts alot when people you have trusted use your thoughts and ideas for their own personal gain. All I can say is at the time I wish I had the courage to delete you earlier. I could tell when the transition in your mind happened where you thought the best idea was to railroad me.  Here is the promise that I am going to make to anybody in my life that is close to me. I will always be in your corner and on your side. To my Pin-up sisters I know how it feels to not belong. Trust me when I was first starting out I didn’t drive. I had one of the more senior Pin-ups tell the other girls that under no circumstances were they ever to give me a ride. To me that is not what life is about. There is so much isolation and seclusion going on already. Somehow my life journey had already given me thick skin. Her hatred towards me never affected me. Yes we all struggle and it’s hard at times. The most valuable lesson for me beyond the unfriend and unfollow is it’s ok to take control of your life. That the longer you allow the poison to take over your life then you will always be hiding under a rock. So to anybody who feels like they don’t belong, you belong with me. I will never judge or making you feel anything less than the beautiful soul that you are. Life is about the journey and not those you crush along the way. I will always help your candle burn brighter. Who knows maybe by unfollowing you can truly find your way.