Hearkening back to the days. . .

I've realized many things since my recent hiatus from instagram. Some of the things I already knew, but one thing has stood out for me that I didn't expect. I really missed sitting at my computer and writing. My degrees are in English and Creative Writing; and while I've kept a daily journal for decades, I haven't sat down to write at a computer since I was in grad school. I forgot how much I like it. I'm working in a stream of consciousness motif for this blog, so with the exception of typos (which I will edit), I'm not editing content. Let the comma splices, misplaced modifiers, and awkward transitions abound!
What else have I learned thus far? I think I'm probably less stressed out. I didn't realize how much pressure I was putting on myself in the land of social media, when the navigation of the algorithm just became increasingly ridiculous and impossible to figure out. The last straw for me was when I posted a Halloween reel on 10/31. it was just a fun reel with decorations and costumes, etc., but guess what happened? I literally "lost" 14 followers minutes after posting. Then, I was so frustrated that I deleted the reel, and guess what???? Almost all of the followers mysteriously came back. I was messaging with one of my followers weeks before who was telling me that she was losing followers each time she posted and gaining followers when she didn't. How are we supposed to use this app as an advertising tool in the midst of manipulation? Right after the reel debacle I made the decision to delete the app. I felt that if it had such an emotional impact on me, it was time to take a break.
Today I starting piecing together some fabric for a new jacket. I finished the body of the jacket except for some top stitching, and I cut out the sleeves. I'm putting my sewing away to go do yoga, and later this afternoon I'm going to head outside with my kids so they can play with their friends and I can work on the sleeves of my crochet cardigan. Grateful that it's still warm enough for me to crochet outside.

Until tomorrow,
Christa