I used to love the element of disconnect that came with flying. No cell phones. No internet. Just books and magazines. I loved the simplicity and the margin that came with that short amount of undisturbed time in the sky. The refreshment I found in flying was one of the many reasons I never minded the constant travel that accompanied my choices to go to Auburn or move to New York. It gave me time to reflect. And think. And just be. Now even that brief time of disconnectedness is non-existent. Once you rise above 10,000 feet, you have the option to get back at it.
As our generation deals with the effects of constantly evolving and always accessible media and social tools, I'm beginning to feel a little underwhelmed by it all. Suddenly, everyone is an expert at something. Or a stylist and photographer. Or a professional selfie taker. Lives and homes and images are perfectly styled - ALL the time.
And you know what - I. Am. Over. It.
Where in the world did real life go? I miss authenticity. I miss the perfectly imperfect. I miss the wait. I miss . . . SHELTER MAGAZINES! The real ones, like Blueprint, Cottage Living and the old school Domino. The glory of these static tangible beauties was their inability to move, to be commented on, or to be followed. You could close the paper bound pages at any time. You could leave it on your coffee table without it buzzing from alerts and notifications. Heck, you could physically fold page corners over to remind you of articles to revisit.
Pause. I'm afraid this is all beginning to sound like a rant. Which I don't mean for it to be. Lets be honest - I've totally reaped the benefits from the ease of social media and tech advancements. The fun Nate, HGTV and Queen Latifah opportunities have only been made possible by this little ole' blog. Goodness, Brooklyn Boy and I even made some of our very first connections with each other through facebook of all things! Hear me - It's not all bad! I just sense a change. I sense that bloggers posting every day of the week are burnt out. That we've all become more interested in followers rather then friends. And that our confidence is becoming a little to dependent on statistics, comments and reactions to awesome instagram pictures we post of the super cool thing we're doing.
Maybe it's just me, but I'm craving a little less perfection and a little more real life. And I'm on the hunt to figure out exactly what this means in my life in lieu of my day job, and the blog, and brooklyn boy and baby girl v on her way. This is not a New Year's resolution post or a goals for the future but rather a declaration, that things-are-a-changin'! And I think it may just be for the better :)
Happy New Year y'all!