 |
| My mama & my Rachel who followed me everywhere. |
Last Sunday morning, while talking to Madelene, I said, "Just for one day, I would love to go back to the '70's as an adult." The 'lesser' things were much more appreciated -- like the smell of the air after it rains, a long distance telephone call from your grandmother, the ability to function everyday normal life without a cell phone attached to us 24/7 and the way food used to be: clean, fresh, healthy. I want to take a drive in a 1975 station wagon over to the local butcher for our dinner and over to the mom & pop hardware store that closed down once Home Depot landed. Looking up information about something meant sifting through that huge 10 lb phone book and calling the business to inquire about whatever. There were "live" people there to answer your phone calls too. Dogs ran loose without any fear of anyone getting hurt. Friends and family genuinely remembered your birthday, instead of some high tech social networking program that reminded everyone. Families gathered around their newly colored television sets to watch their programs together.
Together.
We feel this sense of "togetherness" since we
kinda know what's going on with our loved ones through social media. But if you're like me, I don't put half of the bullshit I endure on Facebook or Twitter. Granted -- I make my opinions known or perhaps the occasional whereabouts I'm frequenting, but nothing super personal. I had someone say, "Oh wow, I didn't even know you were in the hospital," while looking confused that it wasn't on Facebook. No. I no longer blab about my hospital stays and my health issues any longer. If you honestly want to know about what's going on, use the ol' tele. Sometimes I'll randomly text one of my buddies and say, "How are you despite Facebook?" And she'll laugh and not surprisingly, will tell me a lot of things I was unaware of happening in her life.
It's not that I want to go back in time, more than it is about wanting to reconnect on a genuine level with my friends, family and acquaintances. Life goes by so quickly, and in a blink of an eye, you can miss 10, 20, perhaps even 30 years and then end up saying, "Wow, we should have gotten together more often..." I get it. Life happens and everyone has their own 'thang', but wouldn't it so much better to go through life with the ones you love and cherish -- even if you haven't seen them in 'somewhat' years? I've learned that life isn't guaranteed healthy days, or days at all. Life can throw a lot of unexpected curveballs at you. "Busyness" has become the number one divider in many friends and family, and it's sad that we can't share in all of it...together. Maybe I'm being unrealistic, but you gotta admit, there are some people in your life that you miss and they're so incredibly close by to begin with. Call them. Invite them over. Connect again.
Bring the 70's back again. Put the cell phones away and talk to --- each other ----! Don't worry about what you're going to miss on Facebook. Worry about what you're going to miss while sifting through Facebook as life passes you by. And now, I must post this onto Facebook. And so, the vicious cycle never ends.
For more of Deb's articles, please visit: www.debrapasquella.com or join her on Facebook and Twitter. Check out her cooking blog for some of her famous recipes!
