Rocks don’t care about social media. No, really. They’re very old school that way. They refuse to promote their work, post their photos or share their news. They don’t fear being left behind and feeling out of it. They aren’t even worried about being called old fossils. 
Rocks don’t do digital. Instead they focus on carrying the history of the universe and holding the world up. Nothing to blog about.
If only writers could be so Zen. But we’re encouraged to embrace social media, to friend and follow and comment, even when we’re introverts who’d really rather hide under one of those rocks.
I resisted social networking sites as long as possible. Besides being shy of the Internet, I worried about wasting my writing time. I had no idea what the real downside would be: Facebook and Twitter often make me feel incompetent, overwhelmed and intimidated.
I’m never sure I’m doing things right. And then there are so many terrific writers out there, with cool websites, entertaining blogs, awesome books and big-name agents. All that competition can reduce me to high-school style fretting: Who has the most friends? The most followers? The best photos? The funniest posts? The wittiest tweets? The most comments? The most Likes? And so on.
Still, since what I really do like about social networking is connecting with other writers, I decided to try the new Google+ right away.
But just like in high school , not everybody was invited. Because I write YA fiction, I figured the high-school-is-hell feeling might prove useful anyway. So I begged an invitation from a cool person.
From what I’ve heard, I’ll probably love Google+ once I actually join. But I’m still stuck on creating my profile. Apparently Google+ considers all the photos I’ve tried to use invalid. Or maybe too big, even after I’ve resized them. Yes, I could sign up without a photo, but that would be like wearing the wrong thing to a high-school party.
While I was searching for something that Google+ might accept, I got distracted looking at my other photos. And that’s when I realized I don’t need social media to remind me I’m nobody.
Rocks are what really humble me. They always make me feel unimportant in the great scheme of things. But in a good way. It’s so comforting to know that they were around long before Facebook and Twitter and Google+, and will still be around when social networking is over.
Rocks are content to simply exist.
I totally support their choice to stay offline while they turn to sand. I respect their right to disregard social media forever. And I thank them for giving me perspective on my literary career. For making me realize and accept my own insignificance.
Hey, maybe I’ll tweet that!
I say we embrace our insignificance and hang around with insignificant others! *hearts you*
Agreed!
I love this! I learned about the wisdom of rocks when I went through a really hard emotional time. I had so much anger inside me and couldn’t figure out how to get rid of it. The answer came from the craggy mountains outside my window. They are more than 600,000 years old and have seen so much turmoil come…and go. I decided to take life like a rock – see it, let it go.
I have yet to gain a rock-like countenance when it comes to social media but I’m working on it. Zen and social media. Think like a rock. Yes.
Glad you liked it. That’s exactly how I feel too. Thanks for sharing your experience Liza.
I love rocks, too. And this is a great post! I often feel the same way about the effects of social media and will ignore it from time to time. But then I always get dragged back in for fear of missing out on something (???) And as for Google+ – don’t tell the cool kids I said this – for me it’s just meh. I see it as just another anti-rock medium that adds to the insanity, one that I should just bite the bullet and do without. But, I might miss out on something if I do …
Thanks for sharing this post!
I know, I know, it’s so hard to get over the worry that we’ll miss something. But it’s impossible to keep up with everything.
Thanks for you comments!
Fabulous post, Jocelyn. I’m resisting Google+. I’ll probably, eventually go there (I always end up joining things late. I just joined Facebook a few months ago). I do love Twitter though. Swear I never thought I’d write those words.
Anyway, I love rocks too. Albeit, small, round easily-held and look cute in a vase kind of rocks but I feel like I’m holding on to something very eternal and calming. We need that in this crazy world.
Nelsa
Thanks Nelsa! I like Twitter best too, and also thought I’d never say that.