Hiatus!

Dear Friends,

My commute is early, but not without benefits
I have been on a social media hiatus (with two exceptions: work-related use, sometimes I use my personal login to update company social media) and private messages for Facebook friends whom I don't tend to email.

I've heard from people that they miss my updates. That warms me and surprises me in equal parts.

What am I "hiding" from? Several things:

  1. All things political - including religious-political banter and school board election-related discussions - especially school board elections: It's funny. I made a few posts about school-related matters (once about a grammatical mistake that my son's English teacher made on back to school night, and another about a parent who nearly ran over two students who were legally crossing in a crosswalk in front of the high school) and it was enough stress to make me give up Facebook for a month. I even took down the grammar discussion after fearing I'd lost a friendship with my neighbor. An incorrect object-pronoun isn't worth bad blood between neighbors. 
  2. Jealously. I'll admit it. The green-eyed monster resides just below the surface. Pretty ironic since I live such a cushy life!! I've got it all: love, family, every material item one could desire, a great job and a very interesting life. Still 20 minutes on Facebook and something ALWAYS brings out the worst in me. When you have so many friends (and I'm using the term loosely, since I'm talking about facebook) someone is always on a fabulous vacation, eating the perfect meal or out with people I like, and instead of being happy for them, I notice I wasn't invited...
  3. Competition: I never thought the most competitive sport I'd ever enter was parenting! We'll leave it at that, Bridgewater Moms. I'll never be as perfect: thin, pretty, well-liked, and my kids will never be as perfect as the women around me. I just have to learn to live with that. (Please note my sarcastic tone).
  4. The great timesuck. So I have no time for Facebook and yet I make LOTS OF TIME for Facebook. (I have a 90 minute commute on a good day, each way - that alone could gives me 150 minutes on Facebook - I can connect on part of the commute). When I cut Facebook I actually read. Well, it could be that someone reads to me (formerly known as "books on tape") while I knit on the train. And, earlier this summer I actually spent time writing!!! As in, creatively, using a pen and paper!!!! It's amazing how much time I sacrifice to Facebook.
 I have to admit, I do miss it. There is something so casual about "liking" a picture or adding my two cents to something I have otherwise no business discussing. I enjoy debating parenting with my friends in Seattle. They live in such a different world - or do they? I like to support friends when they are having a bad day and I LOVE seeing pictures of people who mean something to me (and, yes, like everyone else who uses social media, I do enjoy a little stalking of people whom I have no business peeking at).

My office view. We enjoy this strange combination... 
I'll be back in November to see (and, of course, to post) the holiday pictures that people love to enjoy - and some like to mock. I'm not sure how much political blogging I will do. Lately thinking about Bridgewater politics really gets to me - to the point where I'll be in the middle of a run and have to force myself to make it home because I am so upset that I can't think of anything else. I relive conversations and rethink what I really wanted to say to someone, and it ruins my running "mojo". In that moment I feel doubly defeated - I'm losing my limited time to exercise and I'm losing the confidence I gain from a good run. The person who upset then wins twice without even knowing it.

And I'll miss the "good lucks" I'd get if I were to post that I am running a 10 mile race at the end of the month. All the best wishes on N's confirmation and I'll certainly miss the halloween pictures (which I can probably still see on November 1st).

But now, it's 9:55 pm - and when you begin your day at 5:30 am that means it's bedtime. I look forward to hearing from - and about - my beloved friends in two weeks. And for the rest of you... yes, we'll be in touch on or around November 1st.

Until then - I do have a phone, an email address and... yes, a mailbox.

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