Isolated in the midst of constant connections

On the heels of being sick, I discovered how isolated I am. As a society, we have come to rely on the posting of woes on social media and the expectation of people commenting and liking. Gone are the days of people checking in on other people. Gone are the days of bringing chicken soup to a neighbor, or even picking up the phone to remind someone they are loved. Though I am sure it is far from the truth, it certainly feels as if it is a much more lonely world. 

My latest flare had me severely sick and unable to leave the house. I did not care to post on Facebook and just stayed in bed, binge watching television with my daughter. I really do not feel as if anyone missed me or cared. No one called. No one emailed. Though extremely selfish, I guess I felt that no one really cared, or even realized I was not on any social media. After two weeks of being sick and hearing crickets, I made a decision. I deactivated my Facebook account. 

It has been weird to leave Facebook. My daughter and son questioned me on how I will survive without obtaining the news and memes, and latest viral videos. My daughter asked how I will stay in touch with people. I find it odd that Facebook almost seems like a life requirement. Admittedly, in the last year, my Facebook has felt less like a joy, and more like a place filled with hate, racism, bashing, and mocking. I am not sure I am missing it all that much.

I am not sure how life will be without the ability to connect so easily. Friendships will more than likely be lost. I am not sure why I am not reaching out. I guess I want people to miss me which is entirely selfish. Maybe with all this free time, I need to reevaluate myself. And that is okay.