I am penning this essay on a Sunday morning at a great little coffee shop. As a person who does a lot of work based out of the home, my trips to Java locations offer a glimpse of tranquility and a time of reflection. I usually jot down some notes while jamming out to a classical motivation playlist mixed with ’80s hair metal and plan out personal and work goals for the next week. “Unskinny Bop – just blows me away…yeah!”
On a recent recording of The What the Father podcast, I found out that I am planning the wrong way because I don’t allocate the time to accomplish these goals. This is probably because I don’t know what time of day or night I will be up with my adult son with autism. Clocks are more of a snapshot of a life I had not planned. If you get an e-mail from me at 3 a.m., the caregiver lifestyle clock reminds me it’s more of a 24/7 gig. It’s all good. Many parents of those who follow the same path will share with you that you need to learn to adjust and adapt.
Speaking of adaptation, I would like to change the way I view my use of social media. I guess it’s like a mid-year New Year’s resolution that was hatched at the witching hour of 3 a.m. At that time, I saw a post from Pittsburgh Pirates active legend, Andrew McCutchen. An avid baseball fan shared that the season was over and the team should trade him and focus on younger players. The star player responded, “Well, thank God you are not a GM. I’m about to get off this app. It truly is a dark and depressing place. Let me go touch grass.”
I’ve thought a lot about this interaction over the past few days. Have you ever charted your happiness level and how it correlates to being on social media apps? I had a great day yesterday visiting with family and heading to a kiddo’s birthday party. Although I was disappointed there wasn’t a bouncy house, I enjoyed the heck out of sharing conversations, hugs, and movie suggestions with loved ones. Oh man, “One of Them Days” on Netflix is so funny. It was a delightful day all the way around, and my cell phone and social media were parked for the day.
Okay…when does social media enhance my life? Hearing from and reaching out to connections from the past. Watching sporting events with a lot of drama, like the NFL draft, Husker games, and cooked-up controversies, adds joy, and I will focus on using those sites for those purposes.
Like my goal-setting mindset, I’m sure tracking my happiness with social media usage will need some tweaks. If you can share with me ways that your life is better because of these apps, send me a message @baldandwitty on X. If it’s 3 a.m., I may get back to you right away – especially if the message is about a Husker quarterback, a funny movie you giggle through every line, 80’s rock, or about a great moment we shared back at Abel dorm rooms in 1994.
Those topics really do Kickstart my Heart! You just have to have a little Patience to realize when you should log off.
Tony Michaels is a fun-loving author who spends way too much time jotting down notes at your favorite coffee shop. He’s a “What the Father” podcaster and creator of www.baldandwitty.com
