First things first…. what makes someone a professional? What makes someone looked up to and respected for what they do? Is it a college degree? Is it money? Is it social status? What really gives someone the right to take a stance on something, on someone, on some business – and publicly rant or rave to an audience that takes what he or she says as solid information and opinion?
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It’s 2019. Everybody can have a blog. Everybody can have a website. Everybody can have a radio show. Everybody can have a Podcast. A YouTube Channel. A Twitter. An Instagram. A Pinterest. Everybody and their mother’s brother’s son’s girlfriend’s best friend’s daughter can have an opinion. You get the idea.
However, how you choose to use the power of a public forum to voice your opinion is something that needs to be given thought. Living in a small town that thrives on local businesses, encouragement and support from the community is imperative. Someone can get a reputation in the blink of an eye if inaccurate opinions or harsh thoughts are publicly available. A business can lose customers because of one incident that went public. Take Pizza Mia for example – the media ran with one of their employees having hepatitis… the public, the owners of Pizza Mia, and the employees there did a fantastic job at recovering from the negative publicity that was brought on by the news and that one incident. The situation was handled. Pizza Mia still makes incredible pizza. Hepatitis is still a concern everywhere.
In your daily life, look at the sources of news you take heed to. Truth is truth. Opinions are opinions. At the end of the day, what will you have to reflect on? Negativity only gets you so far. If you have PROOF of something that will perhaps help the public as a whole, then speak with opinion and your proof. If you are not 100% certain of something, ask. As far as reviews and judgments go, there’s only ONE higher power that can judge someone.
I earned my bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Central Florida, and my bachelor's in nursing from Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, GA. I certainly embrace my experience as a nurse (and have experience as a firefighter and EMT as well), however my passion has always been in the field of journalism. I thoroughly enjoy writing and making words come to life.
When I'm not behind a computer screen typing or in front of a canvas painting, you can usually find me somewhere near the water with my two kids and my husky, Skye (who also blogs and has her own YouTube).
I think small businesses that are locally-owned and operated are far under appreciated so I support and recommend them whenever I can.
Oh, and I am fueled by sunshine, coffee, and pixie dust.
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