How does technology and social media impact our daily lives? That was one of the things that the 2020 pandemic year had many of us asking ourselves.
Zoom meetings. Online virtual school. Facebook/Twitter/Insta/Snapchat/TikTok.
And let's not even talk about how all of this played out in an election year.
Virtual everything.
As the year progressed, I had to face the facts. Virtual was never a good replacement for the real thing.
Virtual church doesn't even compare to real "In the House of the LORD" worship.
Bible studies on a screen fell flat.
Family ZOOM meetings were cold without the hugs and coffee and food and fellowship.
I even found that some of my relationships had fallen flat because they were all about text messages and phone calls. Without real face to face time, we had lost connection.
I am coming up on thirteen years of blogging, which seems impossible. I think that, as a writer, I am a lover of a good story. That's probably why I share, and sometimes overshare, here at the café. There is always that balance...what do I write about, and what should I keep to myself?
Do I write about that challenging faith issue that I am struggling with that week? What if my view offends someone? Better keep that one to myself.
Pinterest recipes I have tried? Does anyone really care about Hawaiian Sausage Sheet Pan Suppers?
Caring for aging parents? Parenting adult children?
How about the joys and struggles of middle-age and menopause? Does anyone care that I can gain three pounds overnight just because I ate a salty food? Or that I work out every day, get my 10,000 steps in, watch every calorie and still cannot lose a pound? Or that my hair is falling out, my joints ache, but all of my bloodwork comes back normal?
Home improvement? What if the only improvement this month is that I bought a new welcome mat for the front door? That's hardly newsworthy.
I think I need to take a step back from tech. I have never been a big social media user. I have no "friends" on Facebook. I only use it for news and updates from places like school, the community news, company releases, etc. And yet I still find myself looking at it several times a day. I begin my day with coffee and my ipad. It seems like a sad way to start a day.
I like Instagram, but forget to use it or follow it. It seems faster for shortened attention spans.
Pinterest? I consider it my cookbook and "file for future use" tool. I cleaned it up recently, too. Deleted a lot of boards that are no longer applicable to life today.
And what does life today look like? Pretty typical.
As for blogging, well, posts may become more infrequent in the future.
Take, for example, this watercolor session I had the other day. As I played, I asked myself "Is this blog-worthy?" And then I had to get out my phone and take photos. Just in case.
Silly.
I will say that I love my online friends, like all of you café regulars and friends I have made on forums! We share a lot, and that is wonderful. But I also know that I need to do the hard work and make a little extra effort to connect with people in real and meaningful ways.
And maybe I just need to wait for the story to come. And when it does, I will share it if it seems like the right thing to do.
Let's challenge each other to connect more in 2021. Get out of the house. Go outside in nature. Talk to our neighbors. Visit our family. Sit in church and receive the gifts of the sacraments. Have a picnic. Sheltered may be keeping us healthy, but it isn't keeping us happy.
Let's be healthy AND happy.
Let's choose life.
Just some thoughts on a Saturday morning.
There is so much truth in what you write. It seems that we have all led "virtual lives" this year, and it is not fun. I miss people--"real" in-person people.
ReplyDeleteWriting sometimes seems to be a lost art these days. Don't get me started on grammar, spelling, punctuation, and complete sentences. I blame texting for a lot of that, and it may be that schools don't prioritize those subjects. I appreciate your writing style, as well as your varied topics. Whatever you decide about your future postings, I will be checking in regularly.
Thanks for your thoughts, Susie!
DeleteFor what it's worth, I love reading your blog! And the posts I enjoy the most are the ones about everyday things, like how one would talk to a friend.
ReplyDeleteMy perspective seems a bit weird, possibly. I have never had close friends, not even in school, but I've always had many acquaintances. "Situational friends", we call them, where the only social interaction we have is during the specific event (i.e. at the YMCA, at the library, at church). What I discovered during this past year is that while I do prefer face-to-face interactions, I've been very happy and content anyways! And I've very much enjoyed online stamping events. I really am happiest with my books and my family. One of the hardest things for me about having 3 girls was the amount of socializing I had to do with the other moms. I never enjoyed it. Those 3 girls are now older and get themselves around so that difficult part has gone away for me. I realize this makes me a bit odd, but I'm okay with it. My husband is the same way and we get each other.
So, whenever you do post, I'll happily read it and enjoy your writing and what you choose to share, because I genuinely enjoy connecting with people at the levels allowed online. Your writing is cozy, warm, welcoming, and practical - you have a gift, Mary Rose!
Thanks for your kind thoughts, Nicole! I have a lot of introverted tendencies, too. When my kids were little, I would beg them not to make me take them to the pool...just because I didn't want to make small talk with other moms! LOL! I am giving myself permission to write what I want, when I want, and not worry so much about the rest.
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