I’m taking a break from Facebook, which I didn’t think was a big deal but maybe I’m mistaken. A few friends have noted that they now feel less connected to me. That wasn’t my intention. I just found Facebook increasingly annoying – both content-wise and just by mere virtue of existing in my world. I like that it’s not been part of my life for the past week. I’m surprisingly more calm, what with not having to know about all the idiotic opinions of people I mostly like. (A friend suggested I just put the offensive people on mute, hiding their responses. But…I find pretty much everyone’s political views objectionable. That’s why the onus is on me to adapt, not them.) I have to go back in at some point to retrieve photos, I guess, but otherwise I think this break will be permanent.
I hit my limit with FB on July 3, the same day that I hit my limit with a couple of other annoyances. Thank God I remembered that I had a choice to eliminate them from my world or keep tolerating them. The most miserable people I know are the ones who have convinced themselves that they have no choices.
On Friday, I went to the beach with a friend and kept my phone turned off for most of the day. It was exactly what I needed. After returning to the city at around 7 that evening, I emerged from the subway at 53rd and Lex and felt like I had landed on a different planet – Planet Cacophony. Now I want to go to the beach every Friday.
Nothing is stopping me.
Edited to add: Brad Feld is, as always, very sound. Being productive doesn’t mean being crazy busy.
It’s astonishing the difference being able to take an hour or so to stroll by the sea or the banks of the Adur has made to my productivity. I love seeing people exploring new models of working. There’s too much harm in some of the old ones.
I wondered where you’d gone. I for one will miss your obs on stuff. Hope I wasn’t one of those who pushed you off the precipice!
Fwiw, I too do socmed a whole lot less these days too. I think I’m almost exorcised and cathartic bens have dwindled.
Stay well JD.