The Importance of Disconnecting (Occasionally)

“Moderation in everything,” my late mother used to say, somewhat ironically given how much unused wool and unpainted china she left behind. But, like many clichés, it has a deep element of truth, as I’ve discovered by disconnecting somewhat from my normal blogging-twittering-photographing lifestyle. A quiet weekend with friends and family, as well as a rather sobering visit to my parents’ grave (to check the newly-placed gravestone with Mum’s name added) have helped put many things back in their proper perspective, and that’s valuable.

The one big danger of social media, I think, is also its strength – its ability to connect you with like minds. If you don’t move outside the tight circle of people just like you, you can start seeing things in a distorted way, leading to a bubble mentality. This is one reason I value being married to a social media sceptic. Perspective is important, and sometime you have to step back to get it.

I’ve yet to open my feed reader, which is likely to be a place of horror and despair after 5 days away from it, but I’m glad I took the break.

Sorry for the unannounced silence, but I’m back in business.