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The Highlight Reel



Lest you start to believe

THE HIGHLIGHT REEL

is the whole truth.



Welcome to my first blog. Glad you're here. :) I don't plan to have a theme for this blog, just thoughts or ideas that caught my ear at some point and I decided to flesh out and share. I'd like to do one a week or so, but we all know how that kind of plan goes. It may peter out after a few weeks or months, or who knows, perhaps it will become a form of therapy that endures. I may have 10 subscribers, all family members, or maybe I'll be the next Heather Cox Richardson... Ha! Now THAT is dreaming big, but hey, it's MY dream to dream! I would need to know A LOT more than I currently do to even be worthy of bringing her a glass of water while she writes. (See? We all are tempted to envy someone's highlight reel!)

One of my non-highlight reels is this: There are days that I STRUGGLE since we moved to Florida. Despite the beauty and the sunshine and the great weather (in the winter) and the nearby water... It all pales in comparison to driving across town to see my family or attend a sporting event of my niece or nephew or hug the neck of my 30-year-old, 6'5" "baby."  Most days are fine thanks to technology offering face to face conversations in a matter of seconds, and knowing there are cheap airlines that get you home in 1 1/2 hours versus 13. (We moved down here mid-October 2022 and I have been home 6 times already, lol!) But, have you ever noticed how once you crack open the door to worry/fear/anxiety/regret/fill-in-the-blank, it's like every one you've ever had, no matter how far back or how far away in the recesses of your mind it's been pushed, perks up its ears, gets a little hope back, and starts the long (or short!) trek back to the front of your mind? Once that happens, it can take all your strength, and maybe that of others alongside you, to push that door back closed. 

I imagine most or all of us struggle to some degree with not falling under the false belief that someone else's life is soooooo much more exciting or happy or better than ours, or that they are so much more talented or skilled, or lucky, or good looking than we are. Social media takes great pains to make sure of that! I have always tried to post a balance of good things, hard things, happy days, and sad days for that very reason, or to at least be cognizant of how it might make someone feel when I do post or comment about something fun we did or cool place we went or whatever. I love sharing good news or exciting trips with my friends and family, but never, EVER, would I want that post to make someone else feel jealous or sad or that their life is "less than." I often struggle with the best way to temper the good things just a shade, and to highlight the struggles in a way that makes others feel they are not alone when experiencing a similar feeling or circumstance or bad day. To always connect with someone as a human, not as a highlight reel. 

Maybe it's the social worker or the Jesus or just the glass of wine in me that makes me want to be authentic with others. Even when it's embarrassing. Even when it's sad. Even when I did something stupid or childish or not becoming of a "lady." 😏 In an increasingly polarized and contentious society, where it is easy (and seemingly encouraged) to write off large groups of people based on one belief or idea, I have found the way to reconnect to their humanity, and your own, is to interact as though it's one-on-one. Even if it's something reaching thousands. Because it IS one-on-one when they read it - from you, to them. If you wouldn't say it to them directly, don't say it to each of them collectively. Connecting with someone else, especially in their pain or area of struggle far outweighs any need to make myself look good. I believe a lot of people feel the same, but the pressure is real y'all. The pressure to always be having the BEST time in the BEST places with the BEST people doing the BEST things. How exhausting. Let's all let that go. Make your posts and your conversations and your life a safe place for others to be real - the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

Hope everyone has a highlight reel-worthy week! 😊

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 20, 2023 at 11:15 PM

    Glad you are writing and very glad I got to read it. Thanks! Looking forward to next week….

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 21, 2023 at 5:09 AM

    So good!!! Thanks for sharing and stepping out of your comfort zone.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousAugust 21, 2023 at 5:52 AM

    A very good read! Keep it up.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousAugust 21, 2023 at 6:23 AM

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I enjoyed reading it. I love the pictures you post also.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousAugust 21, 2023 at 10:43 AM

    Keep it up! You've been writing well since High School (me too) and in my experience it just gets better!

    ReplyDelete
  6. LLAugust 25, 2023 at 4:52 PM

    Reading this reminds me of that "switch" that I've always told you you possess that I don't. I love your heart, your soul, your compassion and authentic CARE for others. That is what makes you YOU, my Heater!💙

    ReplyDelete

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