It's Okay to Not Share

Today I came across a video that had been shared on Facebook by one of my cousins. It was not the first time I had viewed this video, but I watched it again as if it was my first time. The video was a spoken word poem titled "Look Up". You may have seen it before. In a nutshell, it suggests that we spend less time consumed with technology, specifically mobile devices, video, games, and the internet/social media. The poet stressed that by allowing these forms of technology to consume so much of our time we are missing the special moments in life and eliminating others from our lives, ultimately isolating ourselves by becoming engrossed in a virtual reality. It also stated that too often we seek validation through social media or we allow it to make us unsatisfied with our own lives because others edit their lives to share only the best parts.


Watching this video a second time resonated with me because I had recently mentioned this to a friend and had just made the personal decision to not share something special on Facebook.  My Guy and I went to a new restaurant for his birthday last week. He took a really nice  picture of me and as always I asked him to send it to me so that I can have a copy.  Typically what I would do is later put it on Facebook if I really liked it. Somehow this time was different. He mentioned to me that he really liked the picture and I did too. Not to brag, but I did look good. But this time I couldn’t post it. I almost did, but as I was preparing to upload it I stopped. I could not share the picture because that picture was taken during a moment that was special to me and My Guy only. It did not have to be shared with my Facebook friends. I did not need their validation. I was already validated through the time that we spent together. I did not need to show them that I was enjoying my time with him. That was our personal time together and I respect that enough to keep it between the two of us. It's okay to not share.