Acclaimed author Maya Angelou passed away Wednesday morning at the age of 86. Angelou conscripted nearly every method and medium, including painting, poetry, drama, memoir, dance, stage, pedagogy, song, and speech, into her lifetime project of artistic expression, so it figures that she was also an active tweeter with a wide audience: her Twitter account boasts almost 400,000 followers.
Angelou tweeted often in the past couple months, even as she cancelled a recent speaking engagement over health concerns. This tweet, sent five days ago, may be Angelou’s final public statement after seven decades of them.
For a writer who so transformed her own experiences into an autobiographical art at once personal and communal — those 400K followers were there for a reason — that tweet could serve as an epitaph. – By Evan McMurry
It’s a very somber day when you lose a special person that, with her words she could inspire and move others from darkness to light.
Maya Angelou left the earth today, however her memory and her words through her poetry and books will be forever engrained in our thoughts, memories, others and thanks to the Internet — in cyberspace.
On Facebook as well as many social media networks, #RIPMayaAngelou is trending.
Everyone is posting their favorite poem or quote that they loved. You can read one and think it was your favorite — until you read the next one and decide there are too many to choose from.
Above is Maya Angelou’s last Tweet that is floating all over the Internet. It gives you pause – and is a perfect reminder of how your keystrokes into cyberspace can be a reflection of who you are. What will your cyber-reflection say about you?
On this day that many people are remembering many uplifting quotes from Maya Angelou, keep in mind with her lasting Tweet – it is a reminder that your keystrokes will follow you forever too.
Your keystrokes can be your legacy…..
One of my favorite quotes from her is: “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” Whether you are online or off, kindness matters – generosity counts. Always be that person willing to lift someone up — you will be surprised at how good it makes you feel. Paying it forward is priceless.
Her final Tweet is a perfect gift to all of us about how she lived her life.
“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” – Maya Angelou
Post note:
I wasn’t sure if making this a digital citizen lesson was appropriate -but then when I think about Maya Angelou’s life, she is/was one of the greatest teachers in the world (and influences) – it is poetic that we learn from her Tweet in many ways….
