Social media has become a catchphrase.  And the number of platforms available for it are almost uncountable.  Unrecognizable. But is it social?  No, it’s a way to avoid.

Personally, I AM on Facebook.  And I hate it.  But it’s the only way some of the people I care about ever communicate anymore.  That makes me sad.  I miss hearing their voices, seeing their faces.

I have a Twitter account, but haven’t posted anything there in years.  And don’t plan to anytime soon.  I don’t have anything worth saying in 140 characters or less, more or less I suppose.

As an aside the fact that our current president uses Twitter to communicate to the public really kinda annoys me.

Everyone is becoming disconnected from everyone else.

Since I’ve gotten older, I’ve had the chance to travel and meet many of you fine people face to face.  Having “known” many of you online was not a bad thing, don’t get me wrong.  But getting to meet many of you, and getting to know you as real people, have been some of the most rewarding days of my life.

Yesterday, I finally met WCS  and his lovely wife in person for the first time.  Even before that, he and I had grown a friendship by telephone.  We talk probably 2-3 times per week.  And even though I hadn’t ever been able to hug him until yesterday, we generally communicate in real time.  It’s easier that way.

But wrapping my arms around him and hugging him was very fulfilling.  And (almost) totally not gay.

I’ve known King Hippo  in real life for a few years now, and always enjoy spending time with him…even though he never gives me any pills.  Stingy bastard.

The California tribe, BallsofSteelandFury, Rikki-Tikki-Deadly, Yeah Right, Brett Favre’s Colonoscopy, Brick Meathook and Low Commander…

Those guys are all amazing.  I love each and everyone of them and I cherish all the time I’ve been able to spend with them as well.  Hopefully SonOfSpam  won’t duck me again in couple of weeks.

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Social media is not a bad thing.  I’m not saying that.

But it’s no replacement for getting up close and personal.

We get so caught up in our screens that we forget to actually look one another in the eyes, I think.  We’ve gotten so caught up in what’s going on on the interwebz that actually learning to relate to and understand another human being in real time is getting lost in the shuffle.

Every weekend, I keep my niece.  Generally she is dropped off on Friday (or whenever there is a school closing), and picked up on Sunday.  We (Mom and I) cook for her and for her parents both on the day she is dropped off, and picked up.  And then after they eat dinner, I sit there and watch as her parents, and my niece as well because it is what she’s been conditioned to do, all just sink into chairs in the family room and stare at their screens and don’t talk to us, one another, or anyone else.

It’s disheartening.  What’s the point?

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I’m on the road right now.  When I’m traveling I try to talk and interact with anyone I meet.  It doesn’t always go well.  Sometimes people have had a bad day and they don’t want to talk to some stranger like me.

Sometimes, I’m the one who has had the bad day and I don’t want to be bothered with talking to some stranger either.

It’s a sliding scale, just like everything else in life.

(And don’t anyone say “ASS HERPES” or I will come and kidnap your pets, lol)

Recently, I had a relationship which I thought was finally going to be “the one”.  When we were together in real time and space, or even just on the phone, it worked wonderfully.  Even with the current distance and our respective life difficulties currently.  Then she decided….

Well let’s not go into those specifics.  But it became months of only communicating by text msg.

Trust me, that did not work.

And I only bring that up as an example….

Don’t get so caught up in your screens, that you forget the real people in your lives whom you love and who actually love you back.  It’s not worth it.  Not even close.

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My day with WCS  yesterday was one of the most fun days I’ve had in recent memory.

Moreover, I cannot wait to get back out to California in a coupla weeks for the pub crawl with those jerkweeds.

My point is I guess….

LIVE your life, don’t let it pass you by.  It could end at any moment.

Sorry if this sounds preachy, and I guess it is a little.  But you know I’m right.

Put your phone down, shut your computer down, and go actually meet and talk to someone.  Do something nice for them.  If they are a decent person, they’ll probably do something nice back.

You’ll be glad you did.

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