With the recent whistleblower revelations that Facebook had chosen profit over the best interests of our Country, it is time. With the amount of violence and hate speech in Facebook videos, it is time. With the bombardment of advertising on all social media platforms, it is time. With the amount of my day that I spend on Facebook, it is past time to decouple.
I don’t want to leave quietly because that is not like me. I rarely do anything quietly.
I wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed being in touch. Current friendships, old friendships and ancient associations have all been enhanced by the ability to connect via Facebook and Instagram. I have reconnected with people whose names and faces were distant memories and now are a daily joy to experience.
During the dark days of the 2020 lockdown, my insane bathroom videos kept my creativity alive, and your kind likes and comments made me happy on days otherwise devoid of joy. I love the technology of the iPhone camera and its portability has given me the opportunity to send beautiful faces and places your way. Your Thank You's have meant a lot to me.
So, I’ve asked myself, what can I do to stay connected, but get away from a life controlled by FB algorithms?
Setting up a website and beginning a blog seems like an answer. We’ll see. The technology part scares me to death...while not a total dinosaur, web domains, privacy issues, and other unknowns are of real concern. And the possible loss of connection with family, friends, and organizations is a worry as well. But it is as though all these wonderful things are living at the bottom of a dumpster. Do I want to continually wade through the trash in search of a satisfying meal, or do I want to try a new source of sustenance?
So, what are my goals as I launch Constancely Hoping?
I want to make you smile. Life is hard enough and humor has always been the special sauce to make it bearable. I want to be a regular correspondent. I learned in my professional life that if a website doesn’t change often (read daily), people drift away. I want to hear from you. This will only work if you write back and tell me about your life as we travel this road. I want it to be better a year from now than it is today, so help me improve. And finally, it will probably be the closest thing to a book that I am ever going to write, so stay tuned for some old tales that I like to tell. As we used to say about my Aunt Jean, we had heard all of her stories many times before, but she told them with such joy that the retelling filled our hearts. So, be patient.
Coming attractions will include:
a box set of my Covid Bathroom Comedy Videos,
Tales from the National Archives,
Observations of a Yankee in NC, and
Wallet Photos from a Proud Popsie.
Please Note:
If I decide to go political, that will be a separate website with appropriate labelling and disclaimers. Some political philosophy might creep in, but that is not my purpose here.
So as the jumper said as he passed the 18th floor, "so far so good". It is gonna be a fun ride.
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