As one woman who is teaching her children to look others in the eye, say "please" and "thank you," and be willing to consider opposing viewpoints, I have faith that there are millions out there who want the same. Let's put the phones down and take the time to acknowledge each other in meaningful ways...especially when we disagree. It isn't impossible. I can promise you after eight years living in two very different African cultures, there is more that unites us than divides us...and we mustn't give up on each other.

After years of frustration with algorithms that are, at best, silly and, at worst, downright insidious, I'm finally giving Facebook the chop. I will be very sorry to lose nearly 10,000 followers who have sent me wonderful notes, posted their beautiful creations, encouraged new designs, and taken time to reach out and stay in touch over the FB network, but I am going to do my best to use the time I spent over there providing more content over here and keeping my focus on the one-on-one interactions with customers that make this little business such a joy to run.