Brain Mush

Have you ever been in a Facebook coma? Let me describe it to you, and maybe you'll be able to relate. Sometimes, I start by checking my Facebook. Then I look at the news feed and click on whatever intrigues me. Before I know it I'm looking at someone's cousin's friend's wedding pictures. Minutes slip into an hour or more. Where does the time go? How and why do I waste so much time looking at other people's lives, even people I don't know?!  Looking at other people's lives extensively doesn't make me feel content or thrilled to be where I am. Thinking up an interesting status to write or posting pictures of every detail of my life doesn't give me a sense of fulfillment.

Don't even try to come in my room and talk to me when I'm on Facebook. It will be of no use, my brain has long since become mush. Too much Facebook, my friends, is not a good past time. Speaking of friends, do I really even care to "keep in touch" with all 500+ of my "friends"? It's such a trap. Facebook seems like a great way to keep in touch with people. That's the really tragic part. We can tell ourselves, 'Oh, I need to check Facebook'. However, nothing on Facebook will ever mean more than a letter. Nothing on Facebook will ever be more meaningful than an actual conversation. Nothing on Facebook will ever inspire me as much as going for a walk outside. Although the statistics vary a little, research shows that about 50% of communication is body language, 40% is in how we say it (tone), and 10% is our actual words. Aj talked about this in our Intro to Overseas class, and ended by saying something to the effect of, "Ten percent guys, really?" I think it's pretty hard to justify that we're truly "keeping in touch" when 10% is all we have to work with. Not to say that nothing on Facebook can be meaningful, but it's really not worth as much time as I often find myself devoting to keeping up with it.

Letters, on the other hand, never leave me feeling like I just wasted precious hours of my life. There is something so special about a handwritten letter. Yes, we may still just be working with words, but read this:

In our modern world of instant communication and immediate access to tweets, texts, status updates and instant messaging, something is lost, and it is something wonderful, that is very romantic and meaningful. It is the thoughtful expression of sincere sentiment that can be view time and again. Technology also limits the experience of viewing these sentiments in loving hand-formed words. There is something very personal about a hand-written letter. It is an art and is arguable that it is in itself a loving act. --Mary Tucker

I encourage you to remember all the joys life has to share that make your soul feel alive. Whether by singing, writing, drawing, cooking, climbing a tree, going for a run, taking pictures, being in nature, volunteering your time, solving a puzzle, etc.

Here's to spending more time in real life, with my brain intact--Cheers!