Bell Let’s Talk

Today, Bell will donate 5¢ to mental health initiatives for every:

-Text message sent*
-Mobile & long distance call made*
-Tweet using #BellLetsTalk
– Share of the Facebook image

I was thinking of the impact of these many tweets I’ve been reading this morning with the hashtag #BellLetsTalk and I cannot help but think while it is good that people consider the ramifications of mental health today we really need to make a better effort of continuing this practice throughout the year.

We all love hockey.  It is the reason you read this site on a daily (hopefully hourly) basis but I sometimes cannot understand the level of vitriol with which folks talk to each other about this game.  Whether someone understands the game at the most advanced level or is simply enjoying it for the love of the game, we all have opinions that we are entitled to.  This doesn’t mean that we cannot have healthy debate about our respective positions but there is a way to do this in a respectful manner.

I lost one of my best friend’s growing up to a mental health disorder and once you’ve experienced that it changes the way you think about this disease.  You realize the impact it had on their life, the life of their family as well as their friends.

So when you are getting ready to send that caustic tweet/text/facebook message perhaps wait a few seconds, re-read it and think about the impact your comment will have on the person you are sending it to.

Perhaps the hashtag for the rest of the year should be #LetsTalkNicely.