on pictorial social media

photo taken this summer in my parents' garden

I would love to tell you that going on sites like pinterest and instagram make me unbearably happy. that seeing images of beautiful homes and lovely outfits and cool new braiding techniques make my life a lot better. that I've just seen a picture that sums up how my life ought to be and now it is perfect.

but that's just it. sadly, it's not perfect. 

my life is built up of more than visuals. it is the spirit I feel when I take a walk through the forest, when the air is silent, and then little pine needles and twigs slowly drop from the trees. it is the satisfaction I feel when I've completed a full quarter at school, when I've secured a new job, when I've woken up early and gotten a multitude of things done by noon. it is how I feel when I'm kissed, when a stranger tells me I have a nice smile, when I witness kindness through people I do not know, when I wake up in the morning with the sun pouring through the window and the sound of someone breathing beside me. these are the things that contribute to a life I love. and yet...

often times, I get sucked in, to scrolling down my instagram feed, wondering what new foods that stylist has prepared, curious as to what those cute children are up to today. and that's okay, to look and admire other lives - to be curious. curiosity is a wonderful thing. but curiosity about visuals that you wish were your visuals, to the point where you stop trying to improve your own life and live in social media outlets … that's my downfall.

and so I need to remember. to constantly remind myself. there is more than someone else's life - there is your life. your life, through your eyes, through your camera if you do so please, but not solely through your phone.