my opinion

 Each morning when I turn on my computer I check my e-mail first thing. After deleting all the spam and ads I then go to the "memories" page. I do enjoy seeing what I posted last year and the years before. I'm not sure how the items displayed are chosen by whatever algorithm is being used but I just enjoy seeing whatever it is. Sometimes I am reminded of the hot button topic that has since been almost forgotten. That happens more often than not to be truthful about it. The steady influx of information from all the media outlets can surely keep you distracted that much is certain. Something that was being portrayed at the moment as having the potential to end the world as we know it now just a footnote. Just goes to show you how emotions can drive the narrative rather than facts. Opinion can change at the blink of an eye. Facts don't even enter into the picture at that point. Looking back at what I have written I'm pleased to see that I haven't changed my facts or opinions over the years. I'm saying that is simply because in the case of the facts, they were correct, and in the matter of my opinion, I was either correct or I'm doggedly stubborn, but that is for you to decide. What I'm saying is over the years there has been a breakup with some of my social media friends, there opinion having changed. 

 I don't know what happens to your social media after you pass or just quit posting stuff. My wife has lost a couple facebook accounts that she can't access anymore for technical reasons, but I'm told they are still there, in the clouds somewhere. They are on a server somewhere, stored forever, waiting to be served. I have read where some platforms will allow you to create a legacy account. If you give permission before your death your family members can provide proof of your passing such as a death certificate and be allowed to look at your account. But all that has to be prearranged. From what I have read each platform has a different way of dealing with inactive accounts. Facebook says it will permanently delete your account if you ask for that. Perhaps that is true, perhaps not. From what I understand short of destroying the hard drive or server itself nothing ever really goes away. That's why Clinton was smashing cell phones and bleaching servers. Whatever the case is I don't care if someone reads my posts after I'm gone. I'll risk my legacy on that. 

 All of this is a double-edged sword I'm aware of that. Politicians especially have to exercise caution in using any social media platforms today. Tweets especially seem to be damming many of them. Tweets have replaced hearsay. Yes, back in the day that same stuff would be said but could be denied with the statement, that's just hearsay. Can't do that when it is written done. Private letters would sometimes surface and be used. In today's world many people use the power of the computer to search millions of documents to find one little damming thing about someone. You wouldn't have to search very hard to find something to take out of context to vilify me. I couldn't run for dog catcher without someone from the ASPCA attacking me. Yeah, my social media account is littered with fodder. All I can say is that taken in its' entirety I think you would get a pretty accurate picture of who I am. You can do with that as you like. As I said, opinions change. I honestly don't think I've changed much.  I have become a bit more mellow perhaps, not as anxious for the fight, and more willing to show my feelings, but at the core of me, not much has changed. I still believe what I believe.

 When we talk about change it is always the desire to improve ourselves. The implication being that you're bad until you change. But I believe that some things don't need to change or be changed. No, I believe there are universal truths, things that should never be changed. I believe when it comes people not much has changed over the centuries. The founding fathers believed that, expressing that sentiment in our founding documents. "We hold these truths to be self-evident" meaning they don't require explaining. And if they don't require explaining they surely don't need changing. They were talking about human nature, the way people are. Hasn't changed all that much at all. That's my opinion anyway. Everything I have ever said or written is just that, my opinion. If I accept something as a fact, that's my opinion as well. Everything is an opinion.