See you on the other side........

About a month ago, or so, a friend tweeted a link to an article discussing a guy that decided to give up social media AND his cell phone and email for ninety days. You can find that article here: http://news.yahoo.com/90-days-without-cell-phone-email-social-media-015300257.html
It was interesting to read about how he went about this endeavor, because I thought that ninety days seemed like a long time to cut oneself off from the world as we know it today. I think we live in the "now" network these days. Texting, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.....it's all encompassing of "I can know what's going on with just a few clicks" right.....NOW.

Jake Reilly felt that we spend more quality time with gadgets and keyboards than we do with the people we really care about.

I hear ya Jake.

It made me ask myself if I could do that too. Ninety days. Hmmm. With family spread out from the West coast to the East, I don't think I could give up texting or email. But social media? Sure I can.
I've always said that twitter is my news source. I'm pretty sure I was made aware that Michael Jackson left us before he actually did. (RIP MJ). I'm a big fan of handwritten letters, so I thought to myself, I could write to my friends, and have them write to me. Or I could blog more, about "a day in the life of Tiffany".

I gave up Facebook for lent two years ago, solely based on the fact that a friend said I would never be able to do it. When I hear "you can't", I immediately change it to, "I will".

I was fortunately able to visit my sister again recently, in Satellite Beach, FL. Determined to keep my face out of my cell phone, text messages went unanswered for a few days. But I updated both Twitter and Facebook a few times, leaving me with the feeling that maybe I AM a social media addict. At one point I was answering an email from a friend, while my soon-to-be brother in law was talking to me at the same time. He asked who I was texting in a joking manner. I realized right then, that even though I had heard every word he said and was replying accordingly, that I was being rude. I didn't care for that feeling so much. (He was fine, this was my feeling alone).

So, here I am again at that lent crossroad.

I'm not Catholic. But I like the idea of giving something up that would appear to be difficult to let go of. A few Catholic friends have told me that it can be anything from Diet Coke to red meat.

But in 2012, I choose social media. Again. Only this time it will be both Facebook and Twitter. Google Plus, I'm not intentionally leaving you out, but I don't visit you very often I must admit.

As midnight fastly approaches, I'm ready to say a bien tot which means, if you're French, "see you soon" to social media.

Maybe I'll learn something while I'm away. Maybe my relationships will be the richer for it. Maybe I'll read more which is my most favorite pastime. Maybe you will receive a hand-written letter from moi!

Or maybe I will prove that Jake is on to something. He said "when you don't have all that stuff, you expand your mind about what you want to do with your free time".

Indeed.

So facebook and twitter friends, I will "see you soon".

And blog, oh friend of mine, maybe I will "see you MORE".

See you on the other side friend,
Tiffany

PS Breakfast at Tiffany's should be enriched with "live" conversation without my cell phone alerting me every three seconds about the thought-at-the-time of my social media friends. Great people I must say. I'm glad this is temporary.