As soon as I saw the fake photo on my sister’s Facebook page, I cringed. It was yet another of those long-winded moral stories that are as false as the AI-generated image that goes with it.

You’ve likely seen them. This one focused on a sassy, young sales rep who refuses to respect a tired old janitor who has served his company — and his country — well. The author weaves a tale of telling off the younger man and standing up for the old guy.

On the surface, it sounds fair. But the undercurrent is deeply divisive: young people don’t care or appreciate their elders. In short, THEY are different from US.

And it makes me sick.

We have incredibly kind people of all generations, origins and social circles in our midst. Making up stories to point out differences is gross; sharing them with others just makes you a jerk.

Thankfully, my week had a series of antidotes to this type of garbage. Each one reinstated my faith in humanity.

First, we landed at New Stages Theatre’s story slam on Wednesday night. Hosted by festival co-ordinator Megan Murphy, it operated on a simple principle: get up and tell a true story for less than five minutes.

Surprisingly, my stage-shy husband Jamie decided to throw his name in the hat. The room brimmed with warmth and encouragement as he flew through his tale faster than expected. Questions arose from the back row of Theatre on King as people shared their reactions.

Each storyteller faced the same type of embrace. A trans man talked about how he found his true gender via a slow journey, not a revelation. An older man confessed to blowing up part of a vacant lot as a young boy.

Another one called his sister from the stage to confess that he had spoken about the story of her birth. Then, we all sang “Happy Birthday” to her.

Every person felt safe to add their voices to the conversations, regardless of age or any other factor.

A few days later, I joined a group of 14 women who convene monthly for a networking brunch. As we went around the table, each person not only introduced her business, but opened up about the challenges she faces in life.

When one shared that she will represent Canada at an international level of her sport, offers of help flooded the table. She had mentioned it as an aside, but it led to a group of people offering to help her and her teammates find financial support to get them overseas.

It was beautiful to watch.

Another woman had just started a new job and wanted to connect with others. One announced she is running for mayor and received cheers of support.

I was on such a high when I left the restaurant that I barely noticed my phone buzzing. There, I saw a message from the Rotary Club. A club member had read last week’s column about an attempted scam and recognized the name of the person who had emailed him as well.

He wanted to know which OPP officer to contact so I passed on the email address. Then I took a moment to enjoy the fact that he would reach out to stand up against another liar.

Like the people who post made-up stories.

We all have a choice about the energy we put out in the world. We can complain and blame others for the strife and stress around us. Tap on our phones in isolation.

Or we can cheer others on. I’m choosing applause.

© Peterborough Examiner