3.04.2014

When Real Life is Just More Fun

Hello there, friends. It's been a while. In fact, it's been over a month. And what a month it has been. We experienced real life in vibrant, living color, and I didn't want to come back. Rather than living vicariously through other bloggers, Facebook posts, and tweets, we simply lived. And it was glorious.

During that month away, I made the decision to simplify my personal online presence. Although I have been back at work for a week (after taking some time off for play - no, that's not a typo!), I have resisted plugging back in to my personal Facebook account, the Busy Nothings Facebook page, Twitter, and Google+. Over the weekend I deleted my other blog, closed down Google+ pages, shut off Twitter accounts.

I spent time curating my Pinterest pins - why? Because that's something I honestly enjoy and actually use to keep things that I want to remember later. I don't do it to make friends or grow a following or gain likes. On Saturday, I received a blog post in my inbox that I thought was useful and interesting - and so I shared it on Google+ and Twitter, and people welcomed me back.

But I'm not back. Not really.

I've got a new outlook on social. I use it... it doesn't use me. I decide how I want to use it, I don't allow it to tell me what I should be aiming for. Ironically, a long-time, real life friend reminded me that social media was not all bad. That it was another way to connect with friends and keep in touch with people around the globe. That it gave you the ability to make a difference and impact people. And while I know that's true in many cases, I believe I am entering a phase of my life when social is a whole lot less online, and a whole lot more in person.

Rather than tweet, "Having lunch at a yummy cafe..." I'd rather just enjoy the lunch, savoring every bite. Instead of giving a thumbs up to a friend's picture, I'd rather be in the picture with her, having made the effort to visit in person. I know there are folks, good friends even, for whom social media and instant sharing actually enhances their experiences. It provides a virtual scrapbook of the events. If that's you, more power to you! Tweet on! It's just not me any longer.

No, I'm not giving up the Internet, or even social media. I like Amazon and Hulu and Zappos as much as anyone, and I still enjoy the occasional blog post written by a friend - even one that I have never met in person. It's just that I am tired of the me-centric world of social media, and I have decided to evaluate everything I do by asking myself...

"In 20 years, will I be happier that I took a cup of coffee and sat outside with my husband, or happier that I spent 20 minutes taking a picture of that cup of coffee, allowing it to get cold, so that I could post about it on Facebook?" I'm 100% sure I know the answer.

Life is short. Drink the coffee.



5 comments:

  1. Greaaaat Post! (Spoken in the voice of Tony the Tiger). So, guess what happened the day after you suggested I read a "real book?" I got a rough manuscript in my e-mail from a really good ministry friend to look over and share my thoughts on. It's in a digital format, but it's still a real book (not a blog or online article).

    I'm stoked to read it! Then I opened up this post this morning and read "Real Life is Just More Fun" and thought "Yes... Yes it is."

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    1. Thanks, Jeremy. This is a realization that has been building for a few months, but last month off and away was the "ah ha" moment. Late last year, I realized I felt compelled to blog to meet a schedule, so I made the decision only to blog when I felt like I had something to share, even if that was days or weeks apart. Blog filler is not the same as good content, nor will it grow any kind of real following. After almost 5 years of blogging, I know I'll never be a mega blog star, but if what I say encourages one or two people, I'm content with that. That's what my friend meant when she said social media wasn't all bad. :)

      Hooray for reading books!! :)

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  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Amen! Love it! And love the photo of you at the top of the mountain!!! Breathe in that fresh air!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks... there have been days lately when I wished I was back there! :)

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