But Has Your Family Hit “Unfollow”?
In this world of blogging, twittering, and facebooking, it’s easy to smell a fake.
It’s easy to see the brown on the end of a nose.
It’s easy to think that your online presence is the key to some sort of happiness in life.
It’s easy to try and replace your offline happiness with online euphoria.
Yet when you shut your laptop screen, walk down the hallway, and kiss your wife or kids goodnight, your follower count, unique ip visits, and facebook friends are worth crap.
You see everyone that clicked “follow”, “add friend”, or “leave comment” has thought about you probably a total of 3 seconds of their day.
If that.
Yet your spouse and kids have been thinking about you all day long.
It’s when you realize this, that the scariest and most important truth of the day comes to life.
You can have a rapidly growing online following while the 1, 2, or 3 most important “followers” you have…
May have already hit “unfollow”.
Los
RAIN IT DOWN
great point los.
I don't have a family, well I have parents and siblings, but not a family of my own.
But this is a great reminder.
It also helps me realize that this does not just happen over night, it is a gradual process of "unfollowing."
Just like the blog world. You have to start at 0 followers and it gradually starts to climb in popularity, but so does you chances of being "unfollowed" by your family if your priorities change.
Bingo
LOS!!!! Dude, thank you for this! Its a reality that I think we, including myself, discount. Sometimes I gloat in the fact that, "Oh, I have a new follower" or "man, I really need to tweet all the time so that people know me" as if my life revolves around social media. This brought me back!
Blessings!
U2!!!
Shutting down the blog AGAIN?
Nah.
Awesome stuff bro. Couldn't agree more. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day and forget what really counts.
Great stuff Los. Thanks for the insight. I'm like klreed189 and don't have a family of my own yet, however it's still good food for thought.
Soon you will. Soon you will.
Fabulous reminder to keep the main thing the main thing!
Thanks
to the heart!! thanks for the gentle reminder to keep the main thing the main thing!! Thanks again
I'll try not to make it gentle next time. LOL
Ouch Los. You've been reading my mail again huh. Thanks so much for reminding me once again what really matters. Going to go kiss my smoking hot Godly wife and then chase my boys down to give them kisses too.
Yup. I have your usernames and passwords.
Good stuff.
This is why I follow you. You continually challenge me. You remind me what my focus should be. Thank you for your obedience and your authenticity!!!
Thanks April.
Wow. That is heavy. Thanks for sharing. ANd I hope his stomach feels better
You know it man.
First visit to your site and wow it hits home. Thanks for being genuine and not afraid to say it like it is.
Wow, this hit me like a rock after the epic fight in my house last night about this very topic. Nice post. Thank you.
Well said!!!
Word!
Yea, I think "this" world can suck you in big time if you let it. I have before, I will admit that. Now, I try to set boundaries, time frames, etc and it helps. Always a balancing act that's for sure. God help us all.
this has been bugging me for weeks…and i'm seeing folks in our church that sit on Facebook for 5+hours per day…while my business side rubs his hands together and looks for a kill…the pastoral side sits with his head in his hands…
Ironic, that I was listening to Cinderella's Don't Know What You've Got Until it's Gone (http://bit.ly/zBuaR) when I read this post of yours.
Hmmm…//tapping chin with finger//
So true. I catch myself too often checking my phone while with my kids. Is that person over the internets worth more of my attention than my little boy brushing his teeth? Not a chance.
Thanks for the reminder.
You're so cool. I'm pretty sure if you lived in Austin we'd all be buds.
Wow. Got definitely used today's post to knock me over the head.
"Yes, Bonnie. You are addicted."
"But, I only check stuff once in a while, when the kids are napping or when I can steal a few moments with the laptop on the kitchen counter. And, the kids are all tucked into bed when I really log on…"
"Oh, Bonnie, I'm not talking about the time you're spending online. I'm talking about how much it's starting to mean so much to you.."
This is the dialogue that just took place, as I read this post.
Thanks, Los.
Like April, you continually challenge me. Just as recovery challenges me. To be a better me! I am so much better than I was 2 years ago at this time! Wow! It is so easy for me, as a recovering addict, to get caught up in all this social networking. Replacing one addiction with another! Dangerous territory for me. I'm coming up on a year with twitter, facebook, and challenging blogs (including trying to write one). I was nuts at first. I mean I had just been laid off & was home most of the day. I have noticed over the past month that I can live with or without these things. I don't spend hours gazing at the computer screen. The connections I have made though propel me & keep me grounded. I am attracted to those who are not in it for the numbers or ego, but because of the content! The simple, yet hard things that challenge our being. Bring it on (after spending time with your fam, of course).
dude, and commenter dudes……this is hard to read from my chair, but so true….I was so consumed with inner city ministry for the past 6 years that my as a result my wife left me and my adult oldest daughter won't speak to me. Very hard times, no longer in ministry, but still believing that God can heal this mess. Take Carlos' post & the other encouragement very much to heart while you are still in the same house as your family, cause you don't want to be where I am.
Wow! I'm sorry to hear that.
I guess too much of a good thing is still too much sometimes.
Keep strong, I know God will take care of and heal you during this time!
Dude, I wish you'd stop smacking me in the face with these truths!
Sometimes I need to remember to just stop hitting refresh and walk away for a bit. Take some time to appreciate what's REAL. While online friendships can be real, the father/husband that I am is real 24/7/365/infinity.
Thanks, Los!
indeed. great reminder to keep priorities straight. I've decided to not even use any of my electronics one day per week this year.
Some addictions are more acceptable to the world. Wouldn't it be great for people to say, "He/She is addicted to their family" instead of drugs, alcohol, gambling, video games, facebook, twitter, etc.
WOAH! Thanks man! Kicked right where I needed it!
Great post Carlos. I needed a reminder about priorities.
Thanks!
Hard. Right. May i have the strength to make the choice to change and live in that reality. Thank you again for reminding me of what I love the most. My babies, who are asleep in their beds, give me more joys, laughter and fulfillment. Sometimes I need a good kick in the butt to remind me of it. I appreciate you brother!
Thanks! I needed to read that tonight!
interesting. all that stat crap means nothing to me. i have no stats. i wouldn't know how to figure out what they are if i did…just the other day was thinking of how weird it was that i have like 120 friends on facebook. all folks i actually know, or at least knew well at one time or another. truth is, don't care about what's going on in MOST of their lives…i value facebook since i left cali and am not at home any longer….it's about the only form of connection i get anymore, BUT, what i'd really like to do is go on there and delete the folks who are not truly my FRIENDS and that i don't really care about! why don't i you ask? i guess because what if they keep up on me, what if they care about me and i deny them that access? would that be too mean??? maybe i should blog this question and see how long it takes to get an answer? =0)
Maybe people do think of you more than for the 3 second before writing a comment. Had you considered that. I remember the first time I came across you blog. Your story really touched me. I have followed your blog and your tweets ever since. Your story, your family's story and the story of your ministry continues to touch me.
I believe that as Christians we are called to be different to the world (what ever that might mean). And, if they can only have a connection with those closet to them, then we are to do the very opposite. Christ didn't just care about the 12 who walked with him. He cared for all.
Our relationships might be tangental, but we are still to care for one another and pray for one another even if all we know of that person is 140 characters in a tweet.
Anything else is inauthentic.