I really don’t get it. So this is how I have seen it happening. Someone makes a lovely poster, a lovely picture of a flower or a pretty sunset with some sentimental scribble about his/her mother (father, brother, sister, son, daughter, grandmother, grandfather or whatevs, you get the drift) and adds that all important directive, “If you love your mother, share this.” to it, and before you can say ‘Ho!’ about two hundred people have shared it.

Like, really?!

If someone ever told me that to my face, I’d send them right back with a flea in the ear. Look here you So-and-so or Whatsisname, you wanna tell the world how great your mother ((or father, brother, sister, son, daughter, grandmother, grandfather or whatevs) is, be my guest. I will give you my ear, my time. I will even exclaim in wonder and clap my hands in glee, tell others, ‘Hey listen to this awesome thing people!’ But, and that is no mean BUT that I butt in with, you do NOT tell ME what I ought to do ‘IF’ I love my mother ((father, brother, sister, son, daughter, grandmother, grandfather or whatevs). Get it? So why would I do it when it is a poster being shared on Facebook?

But then, that’s me. And I really don’t get why people compulsively share the subtly manipulative ‘if you love’ posters. Yeah, I know. I am different.

©Shail Mohan 2015