It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Why I'm Not on Facebook Much Anymore

So, my wife and I enjoyed a nice getaway before Christmas for our anniversary. As a Christmas/anniversary surprise, I booked tickets for a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, which was AWESOME, by the way. We've always wanted to see them in concert, so it was an opportunity we couldn't pass up. 

Later that evening, we hit a really a nice pub (whose Buffalo Chicken Sandwich basically put Buffalo Wild Wings fare to shame), and took in some Christmas lights. The next morning, Abby wanted to see the Liberty Bell - which she'd never seen before - and I got the chance to mug next the Rocky Balboa statue outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was a great start to our holiday season.

And, the weather was very nice Friday night. Unseasonably nice, so hence the first part of the blog title. The second?

Basically, I've hit my threshold when it comes to social media. I don't think there's anything wrong with it per se. I think it's fine for other people. For me, right now, it's just not something I want in my life. 

No big, overwrought explanation why. Just a confluence of things, really. I've come to the belief that, at the moment anyway, it doesn't impact my writing "career" very much, and has very little impact on sales. As for building a "platform?"

I know scores of folks who'd say that Facebook and social media in general are essential to creating a platform through which authors connect with their readers, so while social media POSTS don't necessarily generate sales, the platform itself is essential in creating a "following." Heck, I've claimed the same thing myself, many times in the past.

The bottom line is this: I've gotten tired of it. Nothing drastic has happened. No violations of my privacy, no threat to my family, or anything like that. It just got to feel like a performance. Even saying "Hey, I'm just being me" started feeling like a performance. Posting about books. About writing. About pictures of our family. Goodreads updates. Foodie pictures. I just felt like I was performing, all the time.

Again, keep in mind: I'm not attacking social media, or those who use it. Just making a decision about what I want to spend my time on. After much deliberation, I decided to unplug and spend more time with my family. And, I'd rather write one or two blogs a month and try to build a platform through my newsletter - a newsletter folks have chosen to receive - than shouting into the wind on Facebook.

What does this mean for my career? I have no idea, but that's also become part of the problem. Concerns about my "career" have impacted my writing. So for now, I just want to write, and worry about what happens to my writing later. 

I hope everyone had a Happy Holidays, and has a great 2019!

Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Wells Fargo Center. AWESOME.

The Christmas Lights on Greeby Street, Philadelphia.