Remember when we used to blog and blog and blog? Remember when we used to take blog walks around the ‘net and leave comments on each others’ pages?

Along came “social media” full of more trolls than we ever saw in blog-dom. Although we had quite a few trolls, didn’t we? Oh, and remember the misunderstandings and the little wars that broke out with long standing internet blogging friends rushing in to defend friends from such? There was no such thing as an emoji back then. We made do with semi colons and parentheses to emotionalize our (funny to us, hurtful to some) comments. (took a few wars for us to figure out a way to get around that.)

I tire of much that goes on in social media . . . and yet I am drawn to it as a moth to flame. I get drawn into discussions I would be better off not getting into. It is nobody’s fault. I am totally human, you see. I want to stand up for things I believe in. I want to promote healthy relationships and well-being and love, always love.

And, in walks dissension and politics and hate, always hate.

I miss the old days. Even with the battles and trolls there was still humor and joy, always joy.

I went for a blog walk tonight and found only ONE of my former every day writers still writing. I am thrilled to see her still posting. Others have not done so since 2013! And yes, I am not much better. That durned social media keeps pulling me in for the quick fix.

Challenging myself to step back and take back part of myself by coming here to write. Challenging you to maybe do the same?

I still will be involved in social media. I will still be vocal about those things which impassion me. That inner beast has been woken and I hope it does not quickly go back to sleep. It is too important to understand that those who come after us – our children, our grandchildren and the greats beyond – must know what life was like before. They must know the paths we have trod through and mountains we have crossed in order for their lives to be more comfortable than our foremothers trod, crossed and lived.

If we do not care about the world in which we live – with all of its loveliness, its ugliness, its charm and possible growth – how are those future loved ones of ours to care?

Challenge accepted.