Why I speak

xkcd:  http://xkcd.com/137/

This is one of my favorite xkcd strips of all time.  I mean, its something that we've all been through.  We write something on Twitter or Tumblr or our blog and someone comes along and says shouldn't you be worried?  Shouldn't you be worried that someone in the future will see it and you won't get the job that you want, or the girl or boy or alien that you wanna date or whatever.  And they're being helpful, at least as much as they can be.  And I get I do.  I mean writing that you eat narglesnarps for breakfast and dance with piña colada's on your head might just come back to bit you in the ass when you run for president.  God knows you don't want to be known for eating narglesnarps.  

But here's the thing that we all keep forgetting.  Every single person that has ever lived on the face of this planet has done or said something like this.  Every. Single. Fucking. Person. Ever.  They've said it in front of friends, teachers, enemies, whatever and life went on.  They lived their life, found dreams and goals and whatever.  

"But Andy we have computers now!  Stuff lives forever and ever!  How are you going to explain to your grandkids that you ate narglesnarps and danced with piña colada's on your head?"  And it's true, we do have computers now.  Stuff lives on long after we'd rather it not.  But you know what?  It's part of life.  And we handle things the same way they did before.  We ask questions.  We stop assuming that we know what someone means by 140 characters they type.  We let them apologize.  Or let them explain and blow our minds.  Part of life has always been doing things we might regret later.  Its how we learn.  Its also how we change the status quo and make the world better and more awesome.  

Its time for a change.  Stop telling people that they might regret what they write or what they say.  Stop reading into tweets like "I hate Monday" and assume that means they hate their job (yes I was really told this.  Apparently Garfield is not a good role model.)  You know what, just stop assuming all together.  Stop being embarrassed or trying to make feel people embarrassed that they stand up to businesses and corporations and whatever and say "hey you fucked up, you fix it."  Things happen because people speak up.  Not because they hide in the dark.  

Its past time to speak up.  Its past time to stand up. Make mistakes. Write stupid shit. Write sane shit. Change the world.