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anniversary, Blogging, blogs, Facebook, long-term relationships, marriage, pictures, posts, privacy, relationship, relationships, social media, wedding
Hello. I was gone all weekend celebrating my eighteenth wedding anniversary with my husband.
We didn’t go on a trip. We didn’t buy each other gifts. We didn’t do the “traditional” things people seem to do on a wedding anniversary.
We spent three days in each other’s company. We went to breakfast twice. We walked in the park and on the beach. We bought lots of snacks and binge watched our favorite show while eating comfort food all the while I rested my head on my husband’s chest.
We didn’t post one picture to social media. Why didn’t we post pictures of all that we did? We didn’t post pictures, because we don’t care if people don’t think we have an exciting life. We don’t care if people don’t know that we had an Italian breakfast, or went to one of the restaurants on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives.
I believe the reason we can enjoy each other’s company for three days and think of that as a celebration is because we don’t seek or need the approval of others on social media.
I know how most of my friends celebrate their anniversaries. I know that because they post bouquets of flowers their significant other bought, they post pictures of a meal they either went out to eat or prepared at home. They post pictures of wine bottles, candles, jewelry, or a trip to another city.
Some people on social media (not all, but some) don’t feel as if they have done or been anywhere without posting it on social media to get attention and count the number of “likes.” I don’t know if people post pictures to try and say, “Look at me! I’m important! I have an exciting life!” or if they are so lonely, and attention starved that they need the positive affirmation of a “like” for everything they do.
I feel like I share enough on this blog without sharing pictures of the meals I eat, the places I go, the friends I hang out with, or the trips I go on. I feel like I give people a look into my life and my heart by writing these blog posts. I’m not trying to impress anyone. I’m not trying to show off to anyone. I don’t feel the need to post every experience on social media to prove to myself or anyone else that my life is interesting and full of wonderful adventures.
Every day we get out of bed has the possibility of being a wonderful adventure.
I’m not envious of people who post vacation photos, food photos, or photos out with friends. I simply find myself saying, “That’s not for me,” and living the majority of my life away from the eyes of social media makes things feel very intimate, personal, and deep. I am present for people not a camera.
I just celebrated eighteen years with the love of my life and no cameras were there to document the weekend. With no eyes on us we got to just live life the way that we are – no Photoshop, no worries about lighting, or getting the right angle. We were not on show for three days – no one liked or ignored our pictures or posts. Servers, tourists and other people in our city saw us live and in the flesh. It was real. The weekend happened, but I don’t need to put it on display. It is in my heart from this day forward, and that does more for my happiness and well-being than a thousand pictures on social media.
If you haven’t put down the camera in a while, you may want to try it. You may find you gain more intimacy as you gain more privacy.
