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anxiety, blog a Day Challenge, creative writing, creativity, life, Mind dumps, Non Fiction, rambling, spilled ink, spilled thoughts, spilled words, thoughts, writer, Writing
I rarely set goals for myself because I don’t find them motivating, rather I find them irritating. I’m a simple float through life and be happy kind of girl. That has always been my primary goal, to be happy. Unfortunately with my tendency towards introversion and anxiety it’s not always an easy goal.
My life ‘cake’ requires balance and large dollops of escapism with sprinkles of creativity. I love interacting with people but on my own terms, preferably in text in a true introverted fashion. This last year though, I have found little satisfaction in the fragility of online friendships, like so much of the world these days, a person at the other end of a phone app is not ‘real’ and appears disposable. It doesn’t seem to matter to others how they discard you when they no longer have use for you and how that leaves you feeling as a result. As a person who does feel genuine attachment to the souls I touch through this media, it’s discouraging at best.
Fortunately, I have met several rather wonderful, beautiful souled people along my chequered journey who have proven to be true friends. So the joy in connection prevails and I am delighted with this balance and less jaded by my experiences of the ‘bad eggs’ out there.
I was encouraged by one of these online friends to explore the joys of internet chat rooms, he said it would suit me and fulfil my need to be in contact at a distance, being aware from the outset that they are transient in nature helps a great deal, that I’d be ‘good at it’ (Bless him) and he was right I do love it, I can dip in and out as it suits me, still get to know people through my favourite medium and find true amusement in the humour of others. Unfortunately I often get frustrated by conversation that consist of one word replies, especially when that one word is ‘lol’.
Grrrrr that sound you can hear is me grinding my teeth.
So looking forward into January I have considered the possibility of setting myself some goals. They don’t have to be attained, there is no reward I can string in front of my face like a carrot on a stick, I just don’t work that way. Just goals of self awareness to move forward with…
A) be patient with people who reply ‘lol’ at least they are amused by something you’ve said. It could be worse, it could be ‘wtf?’
The chances are, their need for human contact is greater than your need for well constructed conversation.
B) whilst you don’t have to write something every day, once a week would be good, even if it’s ‘shit poetry’ or ‘slushy crud’ at least form a paragraph that’s makes sense and be happy that you can.
C) Walk the dog without your bloody phone in your hand. Step away from the internets! *hard stare at self* disengage!
D) Drink less… unless it’s water, and then drink more.
E) Stay hopeful.
Juliette Turrell 
You say ‘fragility of on-line friendships’, I’ve been there! Over the past three years I became friends with four ladies via email, one blogger I even met in person, I travelled by train to her Town’s Station and we spent a lovely afternoon together sat beside a river sharing a picnic, the not so surprising outcome was we hit it off like a house on fire, yet I had the sense she was looking for a husband and LOL I wasn’t her type…….. doomed to be just good friends. We had a lovely day, I’d guess we chatted non stop for 2 hours and parted at said station as friends, incidentally the lady was exactly how I’d imagined her to be from her blog writing in fact she said the same about me, the outcome we continued emailing but correspondence became less and less until we both mutually stopped. With the other three ladies the outcome was identical, after a year or so the ‘on-line relationships’ all ended because I’d suggest on-line relationships can only go so far, as in all relationships there comes a point when both parties would like to meet in person rather than chat with a ghost for all eternity! Btw I fear I fell into the ‘need for human contact’ category rather than ‘well constructed conversation’, no that’s being a little hard on myself but you get the idea……………… all good fun but I’ll not bother again.
Mind you LOL, on-line dating apps promise their users singletons might just meet their soul mate and then go onto marry………… so LOL what do I know!!!!
A very thought provoking post.
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Always pleased to be thought provoking Andrew! And LOL is very welcome in a well constructed and in-depth response such as your own! Just not as a stand alone response, where does one take it next after all?
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Lol…just be patient 😂😂
But seriously…good goals, especially about dog & inet!!
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Euch….grinding teeth and three letter acronyms….two pet hates. Drink plenty of water, avoid yellow snow and wear clean underwear have stuck with me from childhood…..well not always the middle one to be fair.
I have never understood the need to ask Why’s That Funny – it either ticks the box for personal humour, or it doesnt……and certainly have no desire to receive Lots of Love from some random chat room roomie who only joined five minutes ago and has read my first tongue in cheek posting since then.
Oh, By The Way, regarding my disclosure at the end of the first paragraph…did I mention that I’m Scottish and own two kilts? Possibly should have done, underwear can be superfluous but definitely should always be clean….it avoids ones mother from being embarrassed if one is ever knocked over by a car whilst out walking a dog in the snow and it decides to stop and urinate whilst crossing the road. Well I did say to avoid yellow snow…
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🤣😂🤣 chuckling away here, your poor mum!
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