I "like" you, but I don't like you

I don't want to "like" cheese.  I just want to enjoy it.  I don't want to play farm. I want to have a garden.  I don't want to feel obligated to wish you a super happy birthday even if you would not notice if I fell of the edge of the world in a few minutes.  In summation, I'm tired of Facebook.  The virtual world isn't the real world.  Yes, it's a great way to keep in touch, find old friends, etc.  I've done that, and I love Facebook for that.  But what else has happened?  I started substituting virtual life for real life somewhere along the way.  Yes, I know that hasn't happened to you, and of course it won't.  But I am flawed, so it happened to me.  (Plus, it's become a total time-suck, a chrono-vampire, which is not nearly as sexy as a Twilight vampire, btw.)


I love thunderstorms.  I love the flash of lightening, the crack-boom of thunder and the super charged air with that ozone smell that rides on the front of every good thunderstorm.  It just feels alive.  Life is like that, rich with sensuality, every smell, sound, taste, sight, touch.  Every emotion.  Life is a broken heart, dirt under your nails, the taste of red wine and dark chocolate.  It's laughter, it's accidentally hanging up in the middle of an important call, it's pedicures and burnt dinner.  Screaming on a roller coaster, ice cream headaches, burnt pizza-mouth.  All of it is a treasure.  


But for me, social media has become like watching the best ever thunderstorm on doppler radar instead of walking out in the downpour.  It's american cheese slices when what I want is Wisconsin cheddar.  And it's what I substituted for life.  I've deactivated my account (a couple times.  It's not easy.) and soon I'll be deleting it altogether.  Hopefully, I can keep in touch with the many, many of you who are so near and dear to me.  There are a lot of you guys.  You can follow my blog, and I have Instagram (haleytoday), so it's not like I'm pulling an online Houdini disappearance.  I even have *gasp!* a telephone and a mailbox.  I'm still ridiculously around.


Goodnight, Seattle!