The Susan Sequel

Hi. I love to write. Always have, since I was little. I wrote journals, letters, cards, etc… anything to express my feelings. Maybe it was because I was painfully shy as a child. Maybe a shrink would have a field day with me. Maybe I just like to hear myself talk. I don’t know but for years, I’ve wanted to blog. Not because I have anything particularly important to say but just because I love to write and express myself. Until now, I haven’t blogged anything, thinking that no one would care what I have to say. Sadly, I still think that’s true but I recently turned fifty and don’t care if anyone reads it or not. That being said, I am not super creative and am only able to write when something hits me. This may not make sense to everyone but generally, a topic finds me and I go with it. This just happened to me, so here it is!

I recently read a blog post by a local blogger. I will preface this by saying that I don’t know her, have no opinion on her and have never followed her blog. However, someone sent me a post of hers that presumably is loosely based on a friend of mine (and other local women). The topic is social media and the concept is that us fifty year olds shouldn’t be posting like fifteen year olds. To which I say…. blah blah blah. Here’s the thing, I completely, 100% disagree with her, and not only because I love the particular friend(s) that she may be referencing.

For starters, social media is just that… social! By its very definition, to be social is “…designed for activities in which people meet each other for pleasure” At fifty years old, I am not embarrassed to admit that I LOVE social media. I love the pictures on Facebook and Instagram, the news on Twitter and the connections on Snapchat. It’s fun, it’s a guilty pleasure (not unlike the current obsession with the Real Housewives) and, in most cases, it’s harmless. In today’s busy society, I love the privacy and ease of looking at my friend’s pictures, trips, families and pets. It makes me feel connected to people whom I can’t speak to or see on a regular basis. The cheesier the picture, the better! Who doesn’t smile watching their friends have fun? The head tilt, the hip prop, the duck lips… I LOVE IT ALL!! And, the best part about social media is that you don’t have to see anything that you don’t want to see! If you don’t want your feed clogged with bikini photos of friends, drop them, block them or do whatever you want. Just as it’s their choice to post what they want, it’s your choice to look elsewhere. Choices are a beautiful thing!

And, I have to admit that one the best parts of social media is that I’m fifty and not fifteen. At fifteen, I couldn’t afford to take these kind of trips, buy pretty things or experience these kinds of freedoms. I was shy, awkward and had really bad hair (feel free to ask my mom & sister about my swaggy Dorothy Hamill haircut). I would never have done silly things and posted them all over the internet (it didn’t exist then but my face on a microfiche would have sent me reeling). But now, I’m fifty and no longer the girl who cares. I love my life, my friends, my family and my dog. I love to travel, act ridiculously goofy and share with friends. I love when people comment on my posts and I love when we connect on social media. In short…. thank g-d I’m fifty and not fifteen.