There’s always someone watching

“In my hotels, there is always someone watching.”

These are famous words of Terry Benedict to Danny Ocean from the movie Ocean’s Eleven.

What Terry does not realise at the time is that it is his hotel’s own cameras that catch him saying he is willing to give up his girlfriend, Tess, to get his stolen money back, which ultimately leads to her being taken by Danny.

“You of all people should know, Terry, in your hotel, there’s always someone watching,” Tess says.

While this is a fictional movie, it contains an element of truth and reality. Someone is always watching us, there are people and cameras everywhere, this is the reality of living in a connected world.

Then there’s social media. Every post, every tweet, every video is seen by someone. There’s no escaping it, no matter how hard you try.

“Disconnect”, you say, easy when you are not a journalist. Social media has become an ocean for news.

But it has inherent dangers, and like Terry, sometimes you don’t see it coming.

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I’ve had my fair share of vitriolic rants, threats and expletive-filled posts directed at me on many platforms. I must be honest, it used to faze me, throwing me into episodes of cowering into corners and under the blankets, trying to hide away from the work. It didn’t work.

You can only take so many blows until you no longer feel the pain and become immune to it.

With the Almighty’s mercy and benevolence, I’ve developed such a thick skin that nothing ugly can get through. But there are days when a fracture appears, and that hate seeps in and stinks up your entire day.

While I’ve learnt to handle the challenges that come with my job, no matter how painful at times, and earned me a few Brave Awards from Adcock Ingram Sponsors of Brave, my family has always been the target, with no mercy from any community, irrespective of race or religion.

“Your wife, mother and daughter are w**res”, one person splashed on a Facebook page with thousands of members from various communities, including Lenasia South, where I reside.

It is heartbreaking to watch the pain and tears flow from those who have become targets because of the work that I do.

Harassment at school for my daughter and sons, ugly anonymous messages late at night for my wife, was a front row seat for me as hundreds of daggers pierced that tough skin I had developed.

It was really heartbreaking to feel and watch the pain they were going through, and I begged them to get off social media. But they had resolve and would not be intimidated by someone hiding behind a screen.

When the attacks happened in public spaces and shopping malls, I saw that women have courage and the tenacity to hold their own and protect their homes and loved ones.

Social media is dangerous in the wrong hands. We see it on a daily basis, from ordinary trolls to racists, bigots and even the current president of the United States.

Social media has the potential to cause harm and destroy, and I have been fighting a battle for years to clear up misconceptions about me and my name after a horrendous fake tweet.

People are quick to believe, “yes, yes, it must be true,” they say, causing so much pain, until you ask for proof, which is the duct tape that shuts their mouths.

Broken and lost friendships, colleagues looking at you with “you are guilty” eyes is a tremendous and tenacious task to overcome. I’ve climbed that mountain and reached the peak.

As I looked down, I saw the rising sun, the dawn of a new day that overshadowed my nemesis claims, and I breathed for the first time in many dark years. It was not easy, and while there are still some small embers of that dark flame, the warmth of true friendship has returned, accompanied by an aura of trust and happiness.

My message is simple. Life is always going to throw a number of challenges at you; it’s how we navigate the highway of everyday living that counts and makes a difference.

While it’s not easy to navigate the roads, hills, and valleys of this connected world of technology and artificial intelligence, staying true to yourself and who you really are will flush out the artificial souls whose task is to attempt to destroy the lives they so envy.

Like Terry Benedict said, someone is always watching, so be careful and always verify before you amplify, because you could lose it all or even hurt someone and their family in the process.

But there is also someone watching, God, first and foremost among other true individuals who have your back and are willing to defend you during the darkest periods of your life.

All you need is faith.

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