WACKY WEDNESDAY WISDOM- Where There's Ever a Boast or Brag

     I really truly thought I had invented a new term. It just flowed right out of my mouth when I was asking my middle son for permission to post some pictures of his college graduation on Facebook. Said I to the son, "You know your Mom and I aren't ones to boast post on Facebook, but would you be okay if we shared a few pictures of your college graduation?" And there it was. A new term: Boast Post. I had never heard it before but it seemed so appropriate and so original. And to top it off, it was equally useful as either a verb or a noun.
     I quickly looked it up online and to my amazement, it didn't seem to be a thing . . . until I looked it up in the Urban Dictionary. And there it was, bigger than life. The Urban Dictionary described a boast post as "A generic newsletter, usually sent yearly and often with a Christmas card, which is generally smug and self-satisfied in tone."
     I don't like the Urban Dictionary. It ruins everything. Quite often it takes perfectly good words and phrases, and twists them into demented, improper, sometimes vulgar connotations that serve little to no purpose in the perpetuation of a morally responsible society. Okay, maybe I'm just jealous because they claimed my phrase before I did. But I'll stick with my assertion that the Urban Dictionary is more of a nuisance than it is a contributor to society.
    Anyhow, my definition of a Boast Post was/is slightly different than theirs. To me, a Boast Post is when someone shares something on Facebook, Twitter, or some other social media- that is bragging in some form or fashion. Normally it is bragging on someone else such as a family member or friend, but sometimes it is a direct attempt to draw attention to one's self.
     Before you throw sticks and stones at me, let me say that I don't think Boast Posts are bad. I kinda like to read them. I like to know what is going on with my friends and their families. And if there's something to celebrate, I want to celebrate with them. So Boast Post all you wish when there's good news to be shared.
     The issue is when fine folks with questionable intentions seem to be attempting to appear better than others because all of their posts are "in your face" Boast Posts about how good their lives are compared to everyone else's. Experts say that it's okay to brag on Facebook as long as your brag bites are sprinkled in with other posts and are only a small part of your overall content. These same experts say that people typically overestimate the extent to which others will share in our joys when they are posted, and we tend to underestimate the annoyance they may create.
     Some posters (that's what I'll call them, myself included) use the word "blessed" to share their good news. Here are two examples. You decide which is humility and which is bragging.
Post 1: "Blessed to share that I have been asked to speak at the National Convention For Prevention of Facebook Boasting. Overwhelmed and honored to be mentioned in the same sentence as those who have stood on the stage before me and spoken at this convention. Your prayers are appreciated. I truly didn't expect this but will do my best to share what is on my heart."
Post 2: "Blessed and proud to announce that I beat out 24 other candidates to be named Employee of the Year down at the factory. So gratifying to finally be recognized for the hard work I put in day in and day out. It just backs up what I believe, which is that good things happen to good people. So keep doing the best you can and you too may receive an award like this some day."

     These thoughts clouded my mind as my index finger prepared to hit the POST button that recent evening when my son graduated. Once out in space, it could never come back and I knew it. My son's college graduation pictures and his parents' comments would be shared with the world, risking the possibility that somebody somewhere would accuse us of bragging. Within ten seconds of my finger hitting the aforementioned button, it had a LIKE. A few seconds later, it had another. Then a comment or two. Within minutes, my computer screen was smoking. As I scrolled through other posts, I noticed a lot of parents who were proud of their college graduates, too- and everybody seemed to be enjoying looking at and commenting on the pictures. I started to feel better about my post. And I think those who know my son were glad to share in our excitement.

     The Bible says in Galatians 6:14 (Galatians was written by the Apostle Paul): "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." In other words, you can brag all you want to about what Jesus was willing to do for you. He loved you and me so much that He was willing to die for us. That should make each of us feel special. So we can (and should) boast about how much we are loved. I heard a friend say many years ago, "God loves everybody, but I'm His favorite". In a sense that is true for each of us because even if you were the only person on earth, Jesus would still have gone to the cross for you.
      So, to put things in perspective, I will admit that the most LIKES any of my weekly columns have produced to date is 166. But the Boast Post I shared about my son's college graduation already has over 400 LIKES, which I think is a credit to him and the hard work he put in to achieve his goal. Put that in your little book of facts, Urban Dictionary.