I have loathed Twitter long before 45 used it to slip into the Oval Office. That said, I have a Twitter account which I registered so no one else could use my name. I’ve never used it, so please don’t bother “tweeting” me.
How did communication come to this? Now, with little forethought (or for that matter, any thought) people relay their breakfast menu in one message and the next, their condolences for a terrorist attack? I appreciate (I think) the need to share one’s sense of loss when a friend, rock star, or family member passes, but addressing said person in a Tweet, as if they were reading from beyond or above or below (in worst case scenario), belittles the value of life – any life – even the Tweeter’s.
Imagine, in this age of instant everything, taking the time to sit quietly and reflect. Imagine not being boxed into a 140-character format posted for any and all to skim over and perhaps “click” with an instant nod of approval via emoji.
This is not to say that great thoughts can’t be shared in short format, the difference being the thought process.
I’ve listed a few examples that put Twitter to shame. Some are short of the 140 allowance, some are considerably longer, but manage to trigger a concept. I have no doubt that all those quoted below took more than a minute to gather their thoughts.
SAMPLE TWEETS:
Four score and seven years ago our fore fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated… that all men… [140] Abraham Lincoln
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. [113] Eleanor Roosevelt
Mental fight means thinking against the current, not with it. It is our business to puncture gas bags and discover the seeds of truth. [134] Virginia Wolff
Excellence is being able to perform at a high level over and over again. You can hit a half-court shot once. That’s just the luck of the draw. If you consistently do it… that’s excellence. [193] Jay Z
Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters. [94] Albert Einstein
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. [109] John F. Kennedy
I reasoned this in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other. [140] Harriet Tubman
I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life – and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do. [129] Georgia O’Keefe
There is nothing more majestic than the determined courage of individuals willing to suffer and sacrifice for their freedom and dignity. [136] Martin Luther King, Jr.
We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. [70] Declaration of Independence
Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose. [74] Zora Neale Hurston
It’s not tyranny we desire; it’s a just, limited, federal government. [70] Alexander Hamilton
We are a people in a quandary about the present. We are a people in search of our future. We are a people in search of a national community. [139] Barbara Jordan
I’m being funny, but I’m reminding you of other things. Life is tough. Life is hard. We better laugh; otherwise, we’re going down the tube. [140] Joan Rivers
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. [84] Eleanor Roosevelt
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility…[123] U.S. Constitution
All these people give me hope. Here’s to more thoughtful, literate shared messages of any length in the future. Fingers-crossed. My 3 Cents. [140] Rebecca Redshaw