And to all a Good Night.....

Suddenly, she slammed shut her net book and wheeled herself back away from the desk in her leather, ergonomically friendly, executive chair. Eff it all… she thought as she rubbed her face with both hands and contemplated her next move in the world of social media. 

It had started with a blog, just a little hobby to keep her amused and to feed her need for the acceptance of peers and gushing comments of love and adoration. Then there was the photography.. The beloved photography… she was like a keen girl scout, collecting tips and tricks, gathering little snippets of information; ever on a quest to produce the best pictures she possibly could. Of course they were never, ever good enough. This one not sharp enough, the white balance off in that one, another just plain missing the mark completely. Gah.. When would the phenomenal pinnacle of perfection show itself, oh there were a few near misses but that’s just what they were… misses. She wasn’t about to give up though, you can only put out what you take in, so there was a lot more studying and playing and reading and practicing until she felt it appropriate to allow people to cross her palm with silver in exchange for her work. 

As well as the blog and the photography, there was Facebook and Twitter, funny little interactions with the “followers” and a giggle here and there at the amazing stuff she came to find through tweets and retweets, blogs and how to’s… these people apparently just surf the net all day, surf and tweet, tweet and surf? She didn’t understand it, don’t these people have jobs? Don’t they have a boss standing over them telling them to get off the effin’ internet? Don’t they have kids constantly whining for Mama to do something, fetch something or wash something?

Don’t they have husbands asking for love and affection and time to spend with him? 

Hmmm. Then it occurred to her that either these people are in a troubled place she just wouldn’t want to visit (didn’t seem like it) or they’re living their dream and plastering it all over the Web while they do so (yep this sounded closer to the mark). Interesting concept. One day it would all reveal itself, this community of false creation and intangible innovation. Someone may very soon ask, what exactly am I paying for? Where’s the goods? How many “How to” articles can make it to the web before the online writers bubble bursts right along there with the housing bubble, the Madoff bubble and the Student Loan bubble. Soon it will look like the bath tub scene in Pretty Woman and she would be going under along with all the other social media types. What to do, what to do? 

Like every other mother in her shoes she did what came naturally; poured a huge glass of wine placed the pause/break sign on the blog and signed off to go and enjoy the real world with her family until this block passed. It was time to reevaluate and take stock of what her life had to offer at this time. 

The photography would continue, there was still too much to learn, practice and perfect, the technicalities were tricky but starting to fall into place. Maybe another site would pop up, just in another format, where she may possibly have something tangible to offer, creations that lovers of creativity would flock to own, to love and proudly display in their homes. Not ready to presume herself a “professional” but ready to consider the thought and seek a mentor, she would need a clear head and all the bloggy stuff would have to wait a while. 

The friends that she had made would hopefully stick around and stay in touch, after all, she now had a network of fantastic cyber buddies beyond the blog. She was truly humbled and appreciative of all the love and support people showed in their comments but felt it more important to give them something better, something more.. They honestly deserve it. 

The net book closed, the determination and longing finally acknowledged and the New Year standing proudly awaiting to embrace the latest brave soul to take that leap of faith.