Along I-80, I found myself reminiscing about how awesome it was for College Game Day to come to Ames. I thought about Carson's sign to be on the screen long enough for people to start filling up his Venmo account to buy beer - people that don't even know him or likely know where Ames is on the map. I thought about his announcement to donate the funds to the UIHC and the sense of pride every Cyclone and Hawkeye fan felt. And I thought about all of those families sitting in the hospital, waiting, hoping, fighting; and what his donation would mean to them.
Despite all of these feel-good thoughts, I found myself questioning the Des Moines Register's motive in publishing the article. What outcome did they want? To shed light on bullying, racism, and the power of social media? To have global sponsors like Anheuser Busch pull out of the movement? To stop future contributions to the campaign? To boost their follows on social media or subscription numbers? To publicly shame one individual? Was the desired result of boosting their ego to take away from the UIHC?
I, along with the rest of the state would simply like to know why; however I am confident we will never get an honest answer (my experience with them from a professional standpoint has been less than impressed).
I feel like at some point we have all have found ourselves in the same shoes that Carson King and the Des Moines Register are wearing. Making hurtful comments, not truly thinking through the consequences of our actions, and allowing our ego to dictate how we treat others.
However, in every situation, the next step we take is more important than our last. Whether we are a 16 year old with a smart phone, or a liberal news media outlet, don't we all deserve a second chance? An opportunity to right our wrongs and contribute positively to our family, friends, and community without judgement of our past.
I think we do.
I spent some time on social media tonight perusing through comments, posts, GIFs, memes, and blog posts. Ask my friends, they didn't find my screenshots of other people's opinions nearly as funny as I did (HA!). Aside all the jokes and laughs towards the Register, I saw another theme surfacing. Small companies and businesses stepping up to the plate. We saw Iowans putting back together the pieces that one damning article created.
The power of social media, need I say more?
I am excited to see the final number this weekend as Carson (a Cyclone fan) storms the field with the UI Hawkeyes. If you haven't yet, please consider giving to this amazing cause! I took the kiddos to Goldies tonight and we enjoyed some Gezellig Brewing Company beer ice cream. Don't worry, it was non-alcoholic - despite Nolan and Harper's expressions. All proceeds from the ice cream sales will be put into Carson's Venmo account. I plan to make an additional contribution to his Venmo account as well.
Like most Iowans this topic has consumed me in many ways, and I'll be the first to admit that I have spent way too much time on social media the past few days watching where this story goes. However, this topic has hit close to home for me for a few reasons:
- The influence that social media has on our world today. How much it consumes our lives and the ability it provides for all of us to rally around any cause.
- What happens when we let our ego influence the decisions we make.
- Finally, as a family, we spent many afternoons, nights, and weekends walking the halls of the UIHC forcing smiles to other parents and children that were fighting the same fight as Chasen.
I cannot put into words how much this contribution will mean to the UIHC and the families that are there with their loved ones. And to think that a college kid just looking for a case of beer started all of this leaves me absolutely speechless.
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