A few years ago, my Christmas gift to myself was deleting my Instagram account. I’d already lived without Facebook and other social media for years, and I was feeling particularly haughty about Instagram over the holiday season. I wasn’t very active on the platform, and didn’t really utilize it personally or professionally.
In fact, I’d even written a (somewhat high & mighty) blog post the summer before, criticizing the use of social media when pursuing a “simple” lifestyle.
So when Christmas came around, I pulled the plug entirely. Ok, to be completely honest — I’d had some eggnog and was feeling bold. But as each day passed without the app, I began to forget about it completely.
But then the next year got wild…
The Pandemic
With lockdowns, restrictions, and general concern over the pandemic keeping everyone at home, I was soon missing the social interaction I’d been enjoying with my friends and family.
Come spring of 2020, Sean and I had spent nearly an entire year back in my Missouri stomping grounds, where we could see loved ones all the time. That all changed when the pandemic hit. It didn’t take long for us to be forced into relying on technology and various platforms to catch up with and stay in touch with people we care about.
Aaaaaand then we went back to Colorado.
Being Back in Colorado
As if the pandemic wasn’t keeping everyone separated enough, this “separation” was then compounded by Sean and me leaving the Ozarks this summer to return to the Colorado mountains we had missed so much.
I mean, don’t get me wrong — we absolutely LOVED being close to friends and family for that year-long stint. But our desire to be back in Colorado was eating away at us that whole time.
But I didn’t want to lose all those warm fuzzies I get from my closest girlfriends, their precious babies, our aging family members, and closest confidants once we were gone… So I jumped back on the ‘gram to soak up all that long-distance goodness.
A Desire to Reconnect + Stay Connected
It all really comes down to this: I know that no matter WHERE I’m living in this world, I will likely miss out on special milestones and updates shared by those I care about if I’m not on some kind of social media.
And I don’t want to miss those highlights.
I’d inevitably lost touch with special people in my life — friends from college, former neighbors, coworkers — because I had abandoned my social media. But, life is too short lose connections with good people (we all need good people in our lives) over my moral dilemma and hang-up with social media.
So I’m back on social media… for like, the third time.
But this time, I’m going to use it for me — use it for fun. Of course I’ll be spamming all my friends and followers with blog happenings, but I’m excited to use the platform to make meaningful connections, old and new.
I’m inspired by what other bloggers, bookworms, and creatives are doing with the platform, and I might even surprise myself with what I share again across the various platforms.
So on that note, I’ll see ya on the ‘Gram…
