Bury Me on Facebook by Misha Lyuve

topics: death, death and social media, facebook, love, twitter

Unlike previous generations, after our death there will remain something beyond life-long accumulated clutter – our Facebook pages. They will be left for historians and biographers to assemble chronology of our life events, explain our ever changing tastes (and haircuts) and interpret motives behind our actions. And maybe more…

Two of my good acquaintances passed in the last two month. Their facebook pages turned into memorials and celebration of their lives, which made me realize: social media has not only conquered our lives, but even deaths now. Amen. However…

Looking at the comments left at these two pages, where memories became alive and pictures precious and gratitude astounding, grieving became more than just a lonely introverted individual experience, but a phenomenon where a community as a whole got a chance to express its love, respect and sadness.

And what I was left with is that underneath the hustle and bustle of our daily routine there is a stream of love. And more importantly, the expression of it is bursting with a desire to get out – it begs a question: why is the opening for that expression waiting for someone to die? Why don’t we rush and be an abundant expression of love, gratitude and admiration to the alive now?

Now a few words of wisdom. Remember those times, when you thought no one loves you, etc, and you imagine your own funeral? – that’s past. Now you can imagine your Facebook page full of lovely teary messages making up for the past lack of comments to your status updates and “likes” of your pictures. Also watch out what you’re posting – the delete function might not work from the other side.

The day of commercial love by Misha Lyuve

topics: commmercial, love, valentine's day, values

Just when you are about to sink into the pink laces of the valentine’s day, I might actually spoil it for you, of course if you choose to continue reading this post.

Not sure whether valentine’s day originated with much meaning on the first place, but it has definitely turned into a holiday of commercial love, sprinkled with heart-shaped candies, plastic teddy bears and silk roses – doesn’t all this just make you wanna throw up?

Pay attention on monday: commercial love has taken over our lives creeping though the windows of our least favorite stores and neighborhood delis, dissolving in our bloodstream through the umbilical cords of television and radio, and creating an opportunity for superficial attention, making single people feel lonelier and setting some inexplicable expectation of love to the youngsters.

Anyway, I say if you value love, don’t give in, just stay home and make love, even if it’s by yourself.