"M-W-F by 9:00 a.m. Huh?" Just a statement of my statement, as well as of my failure.  Okay, failure may be a touch strong, but I pledged to write three times a week by a certain time.  My friend Damian called me out.  Now I have to do something about it.

I could start with the litany of excuses as to why I haven't written since last Monday, but I won't bore you.  I owe you some words so here they are.

I've been thinking a lot lately about social media.  It is something that clearly, I am deeply involved with, but also something that I feel I should drop altogether.  It's a bubble of narcissism and good feelings, that if used with some sort of mindfulness, can be really cool.  It can also be as cool as heroin.  Which, well, isn't cool at all.

This morning I was thinking about how each of us decides what is acceptable and what is not.  What we think is too much information and what is  insufferable.  If I'm honest, I judge people a lot on what they post.  I am quite sure people do the same with me.  The funny thing is that neither of us are right.

What's insufferable to you or I is completely different.  Social media has become such an all encompassing  platform, that there are no "right" answers.  It's a space where we get news (or pseudo news), uplifting stories, visual stimulus, big ideas, bad ideas, parenting tips, music suggestions, and an almost incomprehensible list of other things to "like", share and judge each other upon.

It's a space in which we craft an identity, whether realistic or of who we want to be, or at the least we want you to think we are.  Let me be clear.  I don't really have much of a problem with any of it.  As long as you own it.

I won't lie.  There are times when I see people I know via "real life" and social media in person, and they say something like "I've been reading your blog ." or "I see on facebook you have been (insert activity here)."  Damn near every time this happens, I feel a small twinge of what is either embarrassment or guilt.  Maybe it just creeps me out, but I feel something nonetheless.  It's very odd in that I have done this on purpose, perhaps purposefully said something, and while I will say I  really don't care that much, when confronted with it in person, I feel weird.

It's cool with me if you use social media however you choose.

Pics of your cat? Cool. Humblebragging in all it's forms? Yes please. Updates on your kids.  Keep em coming! Political and religious zealotry.  HELL YES!

Know that it's going to make you feel weird sometimes, and if that's the case, take a moment before you hit enter or send, and think about if what you are about to say lines up with either the real you or at the least the you you want to portray.  Know we all judge, know we are all likely wrong with most of these judgements, and finally be prepared to be whoever you have portrayed when you see your "friends" in the real world.

Oh, and I don't want to see your cat.

hugs + high fives pf