Monday, November 16, 2015

Profile Pictures and Paris

Lately I've seen a number of posts on Facebook about profile pictures. To clarify, not posts of people changing their profile pictures, but rather posts regarding that topic. While Facebook posts about Facebook are nothing new, the topic deals with the tragedy in Paris. I've seen some discussion on the matter, so now I feel that I should share my thoughts.

First and foremost, I believe that I should speak a bit about Paris. It goes without saying that what happened last Friday was a terrible tragedy. No one should have to experience what the people of France did. I felt compelled to write something for this blog that evening, but I did't know what to say. My thoughts and prayer have and continue to be with the people of Paris.

Moving on to the main topic, anyone who has been on Facebook the past few days, has surely taken notice of the French flag profile filter that Facebook has added recently. As myself and many of my Facebook friends altered their profile pictures in the wake of the tragedy, I noticed a vocal minority of people who made the decision not to follow in the footsteps of their peers. Each took the time to explain why they left their profile picture alone. I did not see a single person who took the time to explain exactly why they changed their profile picture. Now I'd like to take a moment to explain why I changed mine.

As sad as it may be, tragedy is an everyday occurrence in our world. There is never a day where everyone on Earth is completely happy. Everyday someone has bad luck. Everyday someone is lonely. Everyday someone loses a loved one. Everyday someone is killed. It is a harsh reality, but a true one none the less. Despite all of this, in a way we have all become numb to the everyday tragedy of the world. We have become used to it. It is everyday. If we were to linger on all of these everyday tragedies, happiness would become a rarity. As such, we don't linger on these things. We acknowledge that they are saddening and terrible, but we don't let them stick with us. We don't want them to stick with us.

When I first heard of the attacks in Paris, I did what I always do with tragedy. I felt sad briefly, and then brushed it off and continued my day. At the time, I didn't quite realize what had happened. As the day went on, I became more aware of the attacks. Slowly, I began to realize the events that had transpired. By the end of the night, I had turned the TV to CNN, listening to the report, listening to the stories. Yet despite all of this, I still felt distant. I couldn't see it with my own eyes. The world around me did't seem changed. I didn't feel it. I wanted to care more, but there was nothing I could do. In a way, Paris seemed like an everyday tragedy.

If you want a simple and brutally honest reason why I changed my profile picture, I can give it to you in one word: impulse. I saw the button and I tapped. It was a way to support Paris and an opportunity I jumped at. The longer answer is a bit more complex. Why did I change my profile picture? To provoke thought. Despite my mental acknowledgement of the severity of the Paris attacks, my emotional acknowledgement was weak. Forcing myself to feel more sad for the people of Paris is something that I'm not quite sure is possible. At the very least, I can prevent these attacks from becoming an everyday tragedy in my mind. I use Facebook everyday. Everyday I look at my own profile picture more than anyone else's. It is a window into some of the happiest times in my life. Placing the image of the French flag above my own, forces me to think of Paris when I think of myself. Not just Paris, but everyday tragedies everywhere. Think and pray. Even if I can't force myself to feel sadder for Paris, the least I can do is not to forget them along with all of the world's everyday tragedies. A profile picture is meant to identify a person to others. For Paris, it helps me to identify with others.

It does not matter who changes their profile picture or not. To change a profile picture is not to say one supports France in the same way as not changing a profile picture is not to say that one deplores France. My story is mine. I am not trying to force anyone to follow in my footsteps. Some may see my profile picture and think and pray just like I do. If you can connect with my story then that's great, if not, no problem. No matter what you choose, at the very least, keep the everyday tragedies of the world in your thoughts and prayers.

My profile picture will only last for a week, but I hope that my thoughts will last longer.

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