So.... I realized I've been more than a bit lax with this blog....and believe me, there are very good reasons for that. International travel, new jobs now gone jobs, more travel, not a lot to say and too much to say.....Many of those reasons I'm sure will find their verbal exposition within this digital forum in the future but for now, let it suffice to say, in the most casual of asides, that I've been busy.
And so here I am again, ready to place technological pen to MAC powered pages with a few thoughts that may be of interest to few other than myself but I feel compelled to share.....
So....., here is my thought for the day (or really of late because this thought has been growing in my mind for a while now): FaceBook has become the forum for so much self promotion, self exaltation, and self identification that it is distancing all of us from each other and distracting us from reality. It is constantly, in ways subtle and loud, encouraging us to identify and find our worth, and that of others, within snapshots that comprise digital identities. But these kilobytes can never completely reveal a human being in their full spectrum of color and variance. These compartmentalized boxes in which we are only as worthy as the latest "like count" on our most recent selfie or gig or profile pic make for very vapid profiles and esteem....and I am growing weary of it all.
Yes, I DO enjoy posting pics of my gigs and of me with my friends. I enjoy the ability to create a digital memory book and to express my celebratory bouts and dismays with my two thousand and something digital "friends"( please note that the air quotes are indicative of sarcasm)......But I DONT enjoy the unavoidable voices in my head that start to compare and contrast the "lives" that look better than mine at the moment as I scroll the news feeds. And more importantly, as much as I enjoy seeing what my friends are up to, to think that Facebook can better bridge the gap between myself and those I seek to know than a real interaction is ridiculous. And for others to think that they might possibly know me from merely my pics and posts is likewise ridiculous. If you want to know me, call me. Spend time with me. Have a conversation with me or share a coffee with me, my treat. But you can't possibly know me and I can't possibly know you if none of those things have transpired between us.
Because I am more than my photo and friend count. I am more than my gigs. I am much more than my glossy headshot profile pic. I am a flawed and vulnerable and imperfect and rough around the edges human on a journey. You will never know the depth of me from a digital portrait. You might get a glimpse of me from my tweets and shout outs. I usually only verbalize positive thoughts and feelings but don't make the mistake of thinking my life or any one else's is all bliss and party's and photo shoots and shows because that would be impossible. Life for me and for all of us is much more interesting, much harder, and much more complicated than that. And it takes time to even begin to understand a human being. So if you don't have the time to spend with a person, through the ups and downs and real life moments, its ok. But don't mistake your digital connections for friendships. Because they are not. I have two thousand and something "connections" on FaceBook, but my real friend count is much smaller than that.
So if I don't post as often as I used to its because I'm working on creating a richer life in real time with real relationships and interactions. I want to be "relevant" but more importantly, I want to be real and authentic and present in my own life. Technology may be a part of my life but I refuse to let it measure my worth. And when I do share a thought or share a photo, if nobody else "comments" or "likes" what I have to say thats ok because I like who I am and I love the human being I'm working on becoming. And with that, this status is updated. It feels good to share :)
