Lessons in Social Media… What 7 weeks of double pneumonia taught me

After a short trip to Guam, my occasional walking pneumonia morphed into double pneumonia.

Let’s get the important bit out of the way. I tested for both C-19 and the antibodies – negative all ‘round. Who thought I’d be grateful for ‘just’ pneumonia?

7 weeks of bed, loads of liquids and meds to deal with the various symptoms. At times hours, even a day, when I felt less dead followed by a nasty relapse.

Social media? Not a priority. But for some folks, it is the only way they communicate. So, for a few minutes 1 or 2 times/day I would catch up on what some of my friends were doing.

Barely anyone even noticed I was gone. Humbling and instructive.

Lesson 1: if you hadn’t figured it out, each of us is just a few bits of humanity in this strange and wonderful existence.

Lesson 2: a simplifying clarity comes when you limit the time you spend in social media – even when it’s part of your business.

Lesson 3: people who truly care about you will keep up with you and inquire about you even with your schedule that included 15-18 hours of sleep a day.

Lesson 4: it isn’t not ‘real’ and it does matter. Post what you will. Your posts are not the sum of who you are. It will, however, be online forever and possibly have influence you don’t even know about.

What do you want to be your online identity?