And the healing has begun

Well over a month ago I deactivated my Facebook. At the time I wasn't sure if it would be temporary or permanent. I'm still not sure.

I am enjoying the quiet. I found that Facebook was increasingly stressing me out. I hated to see my liberal friends argue among themselves about how to be the best sort of ally/activist/caring person/liberal. I don't miss that at all. I don't miss the constant barrage of bad news. I still pay attention to the news but I choose when to subject myself to it.

I do miss seeing photos of my friend's vacations, their kid's first days of school, cute pets, and the amazing meals they are proud to showcase. I miss seeing what's going on in people's lives. I'm still on Instagram but it seems like I mostly follow other hikers and mostly people I don't know.

I didn't make an announcement on Facebook that I would be deactivating it. I didn't see the point as I made the decision and then just did it. I've deactivated for short periods of time before, never more than a week though. It surprised me that a few people thought perhaps I had blocked them. Almost every single time I've unfriended someone (which doesn't happen often) I've sent them a note explaining why.

Recently I moved away from Portland to a quiet house near a river and a mountain, a ways away from the nearest city. The moving away, the deactivating of Facebook...it feels like I am going through a cleanse. The quiet is what I need after the craziness of the past year.

I'm not sure I ever want to go back to FB or to Portland (well not to live). I'm enjoying my house in the woods, looking out the window as I work from home, where a coyote ran down the road the other day. I am enjoying cooking breakfast for Wen every morning since she starts work before I do. I love going in to town and never worrying about running into anyone I ever dated or anyone Wendi ever dated.

I have packed weekends in September, an epic whirlwind 4.5 day cross country road trip, and two trips in October planned, all of which I will thoroughly enjoy.  But I'm really looking forward to November and December when the only plans I have are a fun out of town night with my bestie, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I'm excited to settle in to our home, bust out my new sewing machine, quilt, do puzzles, watch the snow fall, read books, and maybe try cross country skiing.

I will ring in the new year in a small Mexican town with my love,  well on the way to feeling healed.



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