Dear Sagebrush Sally,
I’ve noticed that in Tecopa, the way people act online and the way they act face-to-face can feel like two completely different worlds. On social media, folks post things they’d never say in person—accusations, misinformation, and snide comments that seem meant to divide rather than connect. But then, in person, those same people wave, smile, and chat like nothing ever happened.
It’s confusing and disheartening. Small towns depend on trust and direct communication, but it feels like social media has turned neighbors into spectators instead of participants.
How do we bridge the gap between our online selves and our real ones? And how can we keep digital drama from poisoning the genuine community we still have in real life?
— Tired of the Double Lives
Dear Tired of the Double Lives,
Ah, the Tecopa two-step—smiles in the post office, shade on the internet. You’ve named a truth that’s not just local, but it sure feels sharper in a small town where the same people stirring things online are the ones waving at you in line for the water kiosk.
The internet has a way of amplifying what the wind usually carries off. Behind a screen, folks lose their filter. They type what they’d never say face-to-face, and sometimes mistake venting for virtue. In person, though, they remember they might need to borrow your ladder next week, so they soften their edges. That’s not always hypocrisy. Sometimes it’s just humanity bumping up against technology.
Still, you’re right: when misinformation and grievances spill from screens into real life, they poison the well we all drink from. The cure isn’t quitting Facebook (though I’d recommend more time under the stars than under the glow of your phone), but remembering that every post has a neighbor attached to it—and they deserve fairness, whether you like them or not. If you wouldn’t say it across a picnic table, it probably doesn’t belong online.
If you’re caught in the middle, model what good communication looks like. Respond with calm, not fuel. Take serious concerns offline and talk them through directly—over coffee, not comment threads. Truth tends to travel more clearly when it’s spoken eye to eye.
And remember: in Tecopa, words linger longer than Wi-Fi signals. What you say about someone—online or off—becomes part of the story this town tells about itself. Let that story be honest, but also kind.
In the end, real community isn’t built on likes or shares. It’s built on showing up—the same way online as you do in person, with consistency, humility, and a touch of grace. The desert brings enough heat on its own—we don’t need to add more through our keyboards.
— Sagebrush Sally
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