As I mentioned in my last post, I’m taking a break from social media and most news sources this month. One reason I decided to do that is that social media can become a real time suck. You open up Facebook to check something and, by the time you come out of all the rabbit holes you’ve gone down, hours of your life have disappeared. I felt like there were more useful ways I could, and should, be spending my time. The second reason I decided to take a break was that it was affecting my mood on a daily basis.
Social media has changed a lot since its early days when it was people sharing pics and updates from their daily life. It’s full of people sharing their insta-pinions (a word I just made up). Something happens in the world and within hours, if not minutes, the memes start popping up and everyone has an opinion about it. And there’s no middle ground. No grey space. You don’t need to hear the full story. You just pick a side based on minimal information and start spreading the word. I found myself feeling nostalgic for the days when people posted pics of their dinner.
A few observations at the halfway point.
- I don’t miss it. That surprised me a bit. It made me realize that it’s really just a distraction, not something that’s adding value to my life.
- I generally felt lighter – less weighed down – because of the reduced exposure to other people’s outrage, opinions and complaints.
- I quickly found other distractions to replace the ones I’d removed. I read more books and long-form articles. I did more crossword puzzles and Sudoku. I did not magically transform into a high-energy, productive person just by removing those forms of procrastination. I still did not exercise.
- Related to the above, I was reminded that, as an introvert, I gravitate towards more sedentary and cerebral pastimes. I’ve struggled with the idea at times that I don’t have enough ‘hobbies’ or interests, especially in comparison to Ray, who has many – hiking, kayaking, gardening, cycling, wood carving, skiing, etc. It’s taken me a while to accept that reading, writing, researching, analyzing, solving puzzles and contemplating life are my hobbies and interests. Having said that, I also realize that I need to incorporate physical activity in my life to stay healthy. Agility, curling and walking are a few steps in the right direction, but not enough.
- Almost everyone I talked to about this experiment said they’ve considered doing the same thing.
I’ll still reactivate my accounts at the end of the month, mostly because I like keeping up with what friends from my ‘past lives’ are up to. But I’ll likely make them less accessible so I’m not checking them as often. I won’t re-subscribe to the newspaper, but I might add a subscription to a news magazine, like The New Yorker or The Atlantic. Less doom and gloom headlines and more thoughtful, in-depth coverage.
The last couple of weeks have been relatively uneventful. Ray had a guy’s weekend at the cottage where they chopped wood, played with power tools and watched sports.
You’re probably thinking that my sister must have come to stay with me while Ray was away, but she did not. She and Tom are in Costa Rica for three weeks. And I know you’re not supposed to post when people are away from home, but honestly, if someone can get past the security in her building, more power to them. “Hi, I’m here to see Karen Jakubowski. I’m her sister.” “Purpose of your visit?” “Um…I’m her sister? So, uh, to rejuvenate my soul, I guess? Maybe eat some cookies.”
We spent a few days in Georgetown helping Ray’s mom move into her new residence. A big change for her after 43 years living in that house, but the place she moved into seems very nice.
Our washing machine broke. After trying various suggestions we found online, we surmised that the pump was the most likely culprit. We thought about just buying a new washer, but with supply chain issues, they’re not that readily available. We decided to try replacing the pump ourselves. In order to do that, you have to basically dismantle the entire washing machine and put it back together again. So that’s what we did. And it worked! What did people do before Youtube was invented? (Answer: Before Youtube was invented, appliances still lasted 40 or 50 years before breaking down.)
Since the only pics on my camera at the moment are of washing machine parts and various items we posted on Kijiji, I’ll steal a few that have been sent to me.
Yes, you and quite a few others seemed to pop out of the woodwork, quite offended they weren’t invited. I’ll be home soon though and we’ll plan a sister weekend very soon!
Good for you, Megan!