More Social, Less media
Social media isn't cutting it for me. Between the seemingly endless Facebook debates or the overly curated Instagram highlight reel, it all has me feeling less and less engaged. There is a dull dissatisfaction in the illusion of connection a "like" affords. There are lots of shallow clicks and very few meaningful conversations.
I wish I could know the highs and lows of others' experiences. Where’s the real me and you that is boring and dull and yet deep with complicated feelings that no emoji can adequately capture?
I want to tell stories that require more than a square photo and a short caption. I want my voice to speak in ways that are out of reach of social media empires who algorithmically decide how relevant my opinion is and when it should show up on the newsfeed.
These apps are simply a game, an art of distraction, that pull you away from the real and turn your eyeballs into revenue.
I’m tired of it. I think we can make life better.
“I want more late night talks while laying on the floor—more campfires and adventures. I want more play time with my toddler that doesn’t somehow derail with me once again being sucked into my phone.
I want more social, and less media.”
Starting now, I'm changing the way I share.
No, I'm not quitting all social media (at least not yet). What I am doing is becoming more intentional with the way I use the internet. I’m slowing down, writing more, taking more pictures and telling deeper stories…my way. Most of my sharing is going to start happening off social media.
Expect here weekly updates on all things happening in my life. Picture it like a long story that is being discovered as it is shared.
About eight years ago I was living in Russia and each week I wrote an email to my family back and home in US. In those letters I shared everything about my life. That weekly habit of capturing my experiences in writing somehow made everything else in the world more vibrant and rich.
“IT’S AS IF LIFE NEEDS A FRAME. IT BEGS FOR A BOUNDARY TO SAY—THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS AND THIS IS WHERE IT BEGINS—OTHERWISE IT ALL BECOMES A BLUR OF UNDEFINED MEMORIES.”
So here I am: week one on a simple new way for me speak. Today, on this fine February day in 2017 I live with my beautiful wife and best friend Sara. We have a rambunctious two-year-old son who has my heart wrapped around his little finger and intwined all the way through his wavy blonde hair. He is everything to me. Here is the beginning of my story. My way. Thanks for being a part of it.
Hey, let's be real life friends. Don't text me. Call me on the phone. Let's talk! Let's grab lunch. Come sleep on my couch, or better yet, let's go camping. Let's take 2017 as an opportunity to go deeper, to slow down and see so much more.
