It has been a long cold while since I posted an update of any sort.

In an effort to not post a stream of inane garbage, I have self-censored and delayed everything into nothing.

Now for my next amazing trick, I will resurrect this corpse of a blog from the dead…

Considering Social Media from Self-Inflicted Solitude

“Nothing we see or hear is perfect. But right there in the imperfection is perfect reality.”

Shunryu Suzuki

I have largely withdrawn from the interwebs and have been considering their role in my life.

Some of these things are simply amazing, and stand as marvels of humanity’s progress and achievement, while so much of the rest is just terrible.

Most insidious is the effect it can have on your psyche and daily trajectory, dissolving your time and focus into nothingness and/or creating a sense of urgency and importance where there frankly is none.

Time and time again, I see the primary constant is the exploitation of people’s attention. Little nuggets of value are sprinkled among the never-ending flow, just enough to keep your primal attention span engaged.

I don’t like the idea of being manipulated, nor being used like some farm animal.

I’ve always admired the monkey who was smart enough to open his own cage and escape the lab.

So I choose freedom and reconsider my associations. I conceive a new plan…

Goodbye Facehole and Fuck Off Twitter

I don’t want to be anti-social, I just don’t believe I’m being well-served by the current paradigm. I see a growing trend among other like-minded individuals.

Oh yeah, and fuck Elon Musk.

Recognizing the traffic gathering down at the water hole doesn’t mean you have to drink that mess. You can still interact with everyone who gathers there without putting yourself deeply in the middle of the muck.

No longer shall I feed my content to the behemoths who only manipulate and exploit for their own ends (and shit all over the water hole in the process).

I will give them breadcrumbs to starve on, and divert interested parties to a place where I control the narrative – literally.

Lost in the Static: My Own Streaming Service

No illusions or allusions of grandeur here, but I can’t help but consider the trend of every media studio trying to set up their own streaming media subscription service. The “big networks” are quickly becoming an antiquated concept, and a new way of engaging with media is emerging where there are more options and less amazing stuff gathered in any one place.

Except for Disney+ maybe.

Bastards…

And so it goes with blogs as well. I’m fully aware of the traffic stats here. This is an exercise in growth and discipline, not a narcissistic plea for your attention.

I also see the latest trends with Facebook and Twitter as illustrating a similar and growing movement, as people withdraw and reorganize around different solutions.

I like this.

Network = Net Worth

I will use them for my own design.

I will use their network to grow my own, and in the process push them a couple of steps out of the food chain.

I will post announcements of new content residing on my blog, like a signpost at the watering hole.

A sign pointing towards an unfiltered source of content. An opportunity to check in for something a little more substantive.

The good stuff is back at the hut.

I Take What I Like

Of course, I am not pretending to abstain from all of the social media and ever-growing content out there.

Don’t be silly.

I will take the best and love it fully, and I will engage and make the most of what the world has to offer.

However, I will be much more mindful of how I engage my attention.

Like any tool, much of what it accomplishes depends entirely on how it is used.

Gratitude

I can’t help feeling like an old dinosaur, as I retreat to my comfort zone and build a base of operations to contemplate the kids on my grass.

I decorate it with whimsy and random indulgences. I celebrate and recognize the influences of what got me here. I try to remember all the wonderful things I have learned and found along the way, things that might help explain or at least entertain.

I will share more frequently, recognizing the value in chronicling the time spent living. For my own selfish reasons, I will document life focused on growth and compassion, and share it freely.

My intention is to focus on the positive as much as possible, but I reserve the right to keep it real when shit gets heavier than normal.

This is an exercise in daring greatly, in living as fully as possible, and giving myself permission to someday find that I have grown.

So let it be written, so let it be done.

A Simple Commitment

I will try to add value to the world in some form or fashion. I will try to be both kind and brutally honest. I will try to express my gratitude for each of you and your attention, and share the artifacts of my life with simple honesty, hope, and joy.

Sincerely

Thank you for visiting, and whatever it is that brought you here, I hope you now find yourself richer in some way.

~