I used to be a social butterfly, with wings spread I would flit from scene to scene, leaving a gentle dusting of sparkle and bright colour in my wake. I was the life of the party, the go to girl if you were looking to have fun. Then I became a mom.
Motherhood brings with it a myriad of glorious things, the least of which is not the miraculous child you have brought forth into the world. It comes with snuggles and giggles and lets not forget that wonderful baby smell. Motherhood is a vast array of totally overwhelming and beautiful emotions and experiences.
That said, motherhood can also clip the wings of a social butterfly. Gone are the days of dancing till the sun comes up, and impromptu getaways with the girls. The more kids you have, the less likely you will be to attend that next function, and I think that is why some of us emerge from our chrysalis as social media butterflies.
Now I get my social fix on-line. Not to say that I never go out or have guests in, but I do a majority of my socializing is done through Facebook, Twitter or text. I have made many wonderful friends through these avenues, ones that I have made the effort to meet out in the real world.
When things are going wrong, and you need someone to tell you it’s going to be okay, there is no greater support network than social media, and the same can be said for when you want to share your triumphs and victories.
Sometimes though, when you aren’t feeling particularly social, being on the other side of the computer screen is very lonely. There are days when I watch the Twitter stream and don’t feel a part of it, don’t have anything to say, or don’t feel like being there, but I watch it. Like being at a party where you don’t feel comfortable except that no-one knows you’re there.
Some days I ignore it completely.
On those days I retreat to my other hobby. I used to call a friend and go shopping, now I hang out at the mall on the Barbie Girl website with my 5-year old. Truth be told, sometimes my 5-year old goes to bed and I still hang out on Barbie Girl. I still check in on Twitter, but I don’t say much.
The social butterfly never dies, it just evolves.
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