Email Rants

I hate getting chain-mail emails.  You know -- the ones that say something like, "If you pass this on to eight people in the next ten minutes something great will happen, and if you forward it to fifteen people, then a secret wish will come true."  Some are more ominous.  "Please keep this email going; if not, you'll lose money."
How many of you have gotten that stupid email about the five Saturdays in July???  It claims that if you forward this email with a simple, generic calendar fact then you'll receive tons of money.
Really?
And there are still atheists in this world?
How can one person seriously believe that by reading a prayer, poem or fact and then forwarding it, she'll magically receive money?  For what?  Really people? Come on.  Did you know that if you sacrifice a chicken on the altar of the rain god, it will rain?  Okay, that's a stretch, but not by much.
I find it fascinating to examine our society's belief.  We constantly vacillate between belief in a god or gods and goddesses, questioning the existence of a supreme power in the face of natural catastrophes and evil acts done daily by men and women.  But we don't question the power of sending an email to a random person on our contact list?
Worse than these emails are the ones spreading hate and fear.  This week alone, I've been warned of credit card theft at restaurants, identity theft by people claiming to be calling about jury duty, and an ominous email warning about a rapist waiting in gym parking lots.  Then I get the political forwards filled with fear and hate.  Obama's doing this wrong, or Bush ruined everything for us.  
So after receiving one particularly fearful political email from a friend, this is what I sent back:


There is a rhythm, a rhyme and a reason to this great poem called life. All we have to do is concern ourselves with the one word we'll contribute to this mysterious river. What is your word? Don't let it be hate, fear, anger or worry. I'm praying that we'll concern ourselves not with the triviality of politics but with the sacredness of our purpose, our word. My word is BELIEVE; I hope yours is TRUST.

Love to all who read this,
Samantha Fey


When I showed it to my husband (a political enthusiast and avid email forwarder), he said, "I don't get it.  What does that have to do with the horrible state of affairs in America?  Are you becoming a hippy?"
I just smiled because I guess some people will never get it.
What's the point of this blog?  A) Don't send me forwarded emails.  And B) Think before you buy into all the garbage, superstition and anger out there in internet land. We can't end it, but we don't have to participate in it.