The highlight reel that is rarely shared

 Social Media, has evolved to slowly encompass most facets of our lives. We "check in" most days, scroll through our feed,  "like" along the way and for many of us, it has become a habitual part of our daily routine. There is so much good to be said about Social Media. Providing instant connections, all over the world, having us all aware pretty much instantaneously of the happenings with a minute by minute breakdown if we wish to see. It's like having a daily get together with all your buddies and you having the peak hole into all their worlds and theirs into yours.

It has become a generational obsession. A need, in a way to be "on". The days before mobile phones and the internet seem like the dinosaur ages now as many of us showcase our daily lives to our friends online to share with them our on going journey. 

People like to be liked. 

And it's really easy to fall into the trap believing that everything that you see in your feed is the "only" real. The continual comparison of others highlight reels can be so real that we do fall into the  thinking that those snippets of times that are captured is all there is going on. Those smiles, those holiday snaps, those group pictures of togetherness have at times, even for me, made me feel like " wow, their life looks so awesome, I wish {.........fill in the blanks}. 

Nice, happy pics make for a great highlight reel. Sunsets and cocktails and damn those filters make me look soooo good , make our online profile look interesting, hey? 

This is what recently made my highlight reel:

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Smiles, relaxed face, enjoying a quick break away from home. Looks like I was a-ok? 

 

But over the previous week, this is what didn't make my hightlight reel but was happening as well:

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I was anxiety ridden, grief stricken, uncontrollably tears, shakes and gut wrenching sadness.

This, does not make for an attractive "thumbs up" post. I wonder whether we all put up an occasional "real" snap of ourselves what the reaction would be. 

Over the last 100 posts or so here, I have written aaalllooott , and to be honest, I have found it difficult at times to write because I have had "highlight reel envy" and felt like I had nothing of worth that would be of interest. 

So this last month has been a tough one for me. And that's okay, you know. We do go through periods of highs and lows. Perhaps if the lowlights were brought out to the surface more often then the highlight reel would become something of the dinosaur ages and our feed would be just a real reel.