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At the beginning of the year I made a commitment to step away from social media for the year and shared the following for accountability’s sake:

I hate to admit (despite knowing I’m not alone) how much time I waste on the mind-numbing consumption that can be social media. Oh certainly it can be used for good, it can be benign and fun… But in my life, and I would argue a good many of us, it’s effects go far beyond the surface.

We talk about it, there are commentaries, books and documentaries about it, we’ve more than likely experienced it ourselves— the divisive, echo chamber, consumer-centric, ego-inflating platform it has become. (And the irony is not lost on me that this post in itself reflects some of those qualities LOL ?)

What started as a public, digital photo album of sorts has grown and morphed exponentially. And I don’t think this is where the good, transformative kind of change is happening. We cannot be reduced to the curated lives we showcase, nor the oversimplified parties we attempt to align with. Because when that happens our empathy, humanity and kindness wear thin. Perhaps the less we see (and share) every single opinion we all feel so obligated to post about, the less likely we might be inclined to write someone off entirely based on one single belief they hold, and vice versa. (Guilty once again ?)

While it may not change THE world, I hope it shrinks my world back down to family, friends and my surrounding community and has the power to change the places I find myself in.

One of Drew’s Christmas gifts to me was this blog space. He observed how my journaling had offered me solace, healing, growth, a place to process, a means to explore the in-between- the places where sorrow and joy hold space together. I’m not sure if using a blog space contradicts the conviction I felt to engage less in social media. For now I suppose it will operate as a testimony of sorts, a place where I share some of the meaningful moments where the light peaks through the cracks in this messy middle.