Happy Monday my friends!
Sometimes I wonder if anyone cares about me anymore. The people that depended on me, needed my input, asked for my opinion… they’ve disappeared. Gone. Well, not gone. They still show up, eat their meals, do their work, take up space but I feel invisible around them. Ever feel like that?
So, to make myself feel more visible I am spending more time in the company of others and doing lots of talking. No iPhones or tablets anywhere near us. Just lots of engagement.
It’s so easy to get pulled into online viewing of Facebook or Instagram and walk away feeling less about myself at the moment. I’m not ten pounds lighter, I’m not in Kauai, I’m not in an embrace with anyone. And yet, nobody is forcing me to check Facebook. So, why do I bother to visit? It sucks the joy out of me and leaves me questioning who I am. And, what am I missing out on?
Nothing is the answer. I am allowing something outside of me determine how I feel on the inside. Why would I do that? There are too many fun things to do, places to visit and flowers to smell instead of letting my happy spirit go down the rabbit hole.
It comes down to doing things the old fashioned way. Meeting up with friends. Making phone calls. Sending real cards in the mail. Putting myself on the front sidewalk at the end of the day so I can talk to the dog-walking neighbors. Starting a conversation with someone in the grocery store.
What do I have to lose? Well, again – Nothing. However, I have so much to gain. The feeling that I am in control of my happiness. That feeling that I connected with a totally random person. The feeling that I can unplug and still be connected.
It’s worth a try, right?
Ever feel lost in a crowd? How did you rise above it?
Related Resources:
Simple Conversation – HappilyAfterRetirement.com
A Time & a Place –HappilyAfterRetirement.com
Today’s Quotes -SoulGatherings.wordpress.com
Happily ... after retirement 
MargeKatherine
Great observations on living vicariously. I’ve been noticing that about myself as well. There was life before the Internet. 😉 And I’m not sure all that data or access to has really made people’s lives more satisfying, in fact, I’m beginning to take the opposite opinion. Digitizing our lives is not the path.
Great suggestions too!
Here’s some other thoughts on the issue…
https://sidsavara.com/spectator-depression/
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Hi Leo, Great article in the link you shared. Facebook is like Disneyland. It’s where the best and brightest moments are displayed and like Disneyland, we never really know what goes on behind the scenes. We all know people who boast about their world publicly but in private it’s a different story. Facebook is their magic mirror on the wall. I love the term “spectator-depression” – it sums it all up. So, now the goal is push away from the screen and get outdoors and enjoy spring. Thanks for your comments!
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Excellent post, Marge! I want to quit FB permanently, but my husband uses it to check road conditions. Ha ha. I love going “off the grid” and try to do it once a quarter for about a week. No games on my phone, no blogging, no worrying about keeping up with twitter. Suddenly there’s time to be creative, to go on walks, to drink a glass of wine on the deck, watch a sunset, to garden, to visit friends. Life is way too short for the things that don’t bring us joy.
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And while you are doing all those amazing and everyday things – you are not recording them. That’s the other piece of social media – everything we do is recorded, appraised, cropped and published. Sometimes this happens without our knowledge or permission. Like you, I enjoy my time off-grid and away from the cord. When we stop being viewers and start being doers, we win! (Very clever, right!) Thanks so much for leaving a comment. I appreciate it.
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I love your priorities! Pour me a glass & I’ll join you on the deck as the sun sets!
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Consider it poured. 😀
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