Tuesday, December 27, 2016

A New Year Without Social Media

Oh, social media. You are part of my life. You make my life a part of others' lives. I am connected to my inner and outer circles by the same vehicle. I need you. 

But do I really need you?

You play a part in very present society. My community, my people, my life is being lived and shared through you. 

Through you I am expected to stay connected to my people. The majority of my social engagements be it cyber chit chat or invitations to meet face-to-face revolve around being connected...through you. If I wasn't hanging out with you, would I be hanging out with anybody? Would I become lonely, forgotten, a ghost of a memory on someone's wall? Would I be sought out or viewed rude not to reply to something I didn't know was happened but because of you, I was expected to answer?

Here comes the question if I make some grand announcement to my people that I am leaving you. Or do I walk away and hope that I am neither rude nor left behind? Will my people remember me apart from their lists of people? How much life will I lose? How much life will I gain? I've been with you for so long and I'm having some sort of internal crisis. It's not you, it's me, and something has to change. I think we need some space. 

I love my people. I love being invited to share their joys--new jobs, new loves, new babies, new changes for hope and security and love. I want them to know I'm rooting for them and that I love them. I'm excited for their excitement. I feel sorrow in their sorrows. They won't know that in their moments though, but I do. They're awesome. 

Dear the massive, underlying connection to my world, I need to find me through me. Along with a mountain of other adventures I've set to climb, 2017 is one year that I am both crazy ready to start and crazy scared to step into. But as far as you are concerned, social media, you are my project #silent17. I'm leaving one platform open for 13 posts to document one of my adventures and otherwise I hope the good old fashioned phone calls, texts, and messages will sustain me. 

All the best everything,
#silent17 commences. 



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