I was thinking about how we lead our lives and the changes to our lives since the advent of social media. Social media has existed long enough that I don’t really have a clearly defined definition of what pre-social media life was like; however, it seems more competitive and less sincere. My mom made hamburgers on buttered buns for our road trips. She also made cold lunches for me in an old one-gallon ice cream container. They both were awesome meals and I have good memories of both. Can you imagine posting my mom’s wonderful lunches on social media? A social media post like that would be passed over whereas a post of a sandwich that was featured on a television program would be popular. My mom’s meals were as good or better than the television stuff, they just had no one to hype them.
We used to laugh about keeping up with the neighbors. This competition usually involved the purchase of a new car by a neighbor who was geographically close. Social media makes everyone a neighbor, for better or worse. Multiply this greater pool of neighbors by the need to show ever-increasing purchases with a fervor that would have made 1950s Madison Avenue advertising executives blush and keeping up with the neighbors becomes a battle.
All of this hype has the effect, intentional or not, of telling a life story that is incomplete. It also creates an unhealthy competition where experiences are measured in scale and cost, rather than in emotional importance. It creates unrealistic standards that only exist in tiny moments on social media.
I like shared experiences, especially the little ones. I think the little celebrations are sometimes the ones that give everyone the most joy. Every Thursday this summer, there is free music at the Floyd B Olson park in Thief River Falls. There’s a nice variety of music played by talented musicians. I often hear people say there is nothing to do, well you can’t say that on Thursday nights because you have a free show just waiting for you.
We have little get-togethers among family and friends. Last fall, we went to a small get-together at my mother-in-law’s place. I took a quick picture of a few members of the group, and it told such a story. I see it pop up occasionally on my phone and it reminds me of such good memories.
Lisa and I went out for breakfast with a friend this past winter. We hadn’t seen him for a while, and we enjoyed breakfast and conversation for about an hour. We caught up on the news of our lives and the visit reminded me that Matt is a really great friend.
Here’s what I am saying, it is time for summer memories. Don’t judge these memories by how much they cost, or mileage covered, judge them by the company you keep and the emotional imprint they leave with you.
All of these little events ripple out from their origin. Their memory gains importance with time and sustains us with good memories. Don’t worry about whether they will be liked on social media, just find the events or good company that you will like.
