One Week Down...

Here's the thing...

I'm on a social media break.  

Obviously, blogging does not count.  

Neither does Pinterest.  Because otherwise, we wouldn't have any thing to eat.

Basically, that leaves FaceBook and Instagram.  I am on Twitter too but blah.  

This is sort of a "it's not you, it's me" thing.  Which is to say, 'it's really you and I just don't like you."  

So far, I'm a week in and here's what I know:  

1)  I feel disconnected.  

Not from friends.  My people are texting me.  Some are even texting me their social media posts so I won't miss them.  So sweet.  But I'm missing NEWS.  Like a car ran into a Starbucks in a nearby city last Wednesday and I missed it entirely.  Not that that incident was life-altering but it was interesting.  I like interesting.  

Chris' favorite line is now, "Did you hear...oh wait, no you didn't."  He's super cute.

So I've had to start reading the newsfeed on my phone.  Although, that's just a whole lot of sports.  Because apparently, I set my favorites when I got the phone (not that remember doing THAT) and I was careful to avoid a lot of stuff.  LIKE WORLD NEWS.

Basically, I still feel disconnected.  

Not sure if that will get better as the weeks progress.  Or if I will just learn a new way of dealing with the world.  Which is kinda like not at all.

2)  I don't miss it.  

Unless I'm still.  

It's my go-to sitting down habit.  Most of the day, I am crazy busy.  There's just stuff to do.  And little people to, you know, REAR.

(Can we just pause and discuss the whole "rear" verse "raise" thing?  Southerns will say, You raise pigs.  You rear children.  But I'm here to say, they're kinda the same thing a stinkin' lot of the time.)

(Anyway.)

But there are random moments when I have 3.6 minutes to myself.  Checking my phone is my go-to thing.  

Of course, I knew that.  It's not like this a surprise.  

I am surprised by how easily I have just turned it off.  No doubt it was a habit but it doesn't seem to be a habit I couldn't live without.

Wish that was true of oh so many other habits I regret.

3)  I've replaced social media checking with more moving.  

So if I could sit or fold another load of laundry, I opt for the laundry now.  I guess, now I'm more productive?  I'll sit in my chair and start to grab my phone and then remember, oh yeah.  There's nothing to do in this chair.  What can I do instead?  

I feel like that's not the point.  But it's where I am in week one.

4)  I have no idea how long this will last.  

I am 100% certain I am missing pictures of my nephews and niece.  And that makes me sad.  So, yo, family, please text me pictures.  Sweet mercy.

But honestly, I am kinda enjoying not opening up FB to see someone is going on a really awesome work trip.  While I listen to my Threenager tell me he doesn't like any of the food I just spent an hour cooking.  Because Pinterest LIES.  Nothing takes 20 minutes.  Nothing.

I'm not much for comparison.  Really.  It's not something I usually struggle with.  But it can be hard still.  

My kids rarely wear clothes that match.  Much less have their hair brushed or the food wiped off their face.  Heck, I can't even get Rhys to stand still long enough to take a picture.  

They rarely say something truly funny.  Sassy?  Yes.  Rhys likes to ROAR at me.  That doesn't so much translate into a FB post much less a photo.  Although, I guess I could video him but DO WE NEED THAT DOCUMENTED?  For forever???  

You get what I mean.

And then there's the missing.  The longing.  For friends I don't see enough.  For a life left behind two moves ago.  Four moves ago.  For being closer to home.  To be at nephews birthday parties and my niece's baby dedication.  For another child.  For adoption.  For the chasing of dreams.  For following a calling.

It's just a lot.

I mean, most of the time it's cat videos and bad politics.  

But you know.  Some days it's more than that.

All that to say, I'm really trying to stick with the whole living with life as it is thing.  I want to be here and not there.  Here and not longing.  Here with the mismatched outfits and the cookie crumbed faces and even the ROARING.  Because he won't do that forever.  

Right?

Week one down.  It's been good.  

But for real, y'all.  SEND PICTURES.