Ambulance Driver Files A Day in the Life | Kelly Grayson
I’m still here, folks.
I just declared a self-imposed Facebook hiatus.
“But instead of writing, I’m doing drive-by witticisms on Facebook at 3 a.m., because making funny and sarcastic comments via keyboard is what passes for human interaction when I am depressed. It’s easier than making a real human connection — easier, and infinitely more unhealthy.”
I wrote that almost a year ago in my EMS1 column on depression. I’m doing it again, and that has to stop.
I quit following most EMS Facebook forums back in January. Too many tee shirt ads to wade through, too much arguing with EMTs who stopped attaining new skills and knowledge twenty years ago, too much seeing EMTs with talent and career potential behave like condescending douchebags to those less knowledgeable than themselves. And all too often, *I* was one of those condescending douchebags.
The few private pages I still followed had devolved into Smart Kids Clubs whose sole purpose was to rant about Dumb Kids, seek them out and humiliate them on other forums, and perhaps occasionally post a clinical scenario to satisfy their zebra fetishes and massage the egos of the Master Googlers among them.
Let’s just say I didn’t miss them much. Still, I responded to posts where I was tagged, and waded into the debates with just as much gusto as before.
But still, bad habits and all, old unhealthy patterns repeating themselves.
Yesterday, I drove to the river with my sweetheart, mixed ourselves a couple of Redneck Daquiris*, and just chatted. It was nice.
Somewhere under that water, is a dam and a couple of beaches.
I’m a writer. I have to have a social media presence. It feeds my muse, and helps me connect with my readers.
But I’ll be damned if I’m going to let it rule me, to the detriment of my relationships with important people in my life.
So from now on, I’m only going to get on Facebook when I’m at work, or on the exercise bike at the gym. That still gives you guys 84+ hours of Kelly-isms every two weeks, sandwiched between EMS calls. That oughta be enough.
So if you tag me, message me, or post on my wall and I don’t respond for a couple of days, that’s why. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to go turn some expensive ammunition into smoke, fun and noise, and maybe take a few purty pitchers of a little kid shooting her AR15.
* Take the Sonic Route 44 slush of your choice, add liquor. Mine was a green apple and watermelon slush with Jack Daniels Honey. Mmmmmm, tasty.