You hear that sound? Shh…hush and you’ll hear it. That’s the merry little sound that my soul is singing nowadays.

Because I’m free.

It has taken me almost ten years to finally reach a stage where I just couldn’t take it anymore. The enormous amount of crap posted by people online, the obviously deliberate crafting of one’s online image, the lack of control over the kind of content I see on my news feed.

Enough.

I have contemplated deactivating/deleting my account for years, and to be honest, once I actually did it. But at that time, it had not been possible to use the messenger function without reactivating one’s account, so I begrudgingly reactivated my account. I still wanted to stay in touch, and wanted to keep my communication lines open. Of course, that’s total bullshit, because it was only a matter of time before I got back to the usual mindless task of scrolling down my news feed. And before I knew it, I was back to my usual routine.

Well, now it has become possible to still use the messenger app without having to reactivate your account. Yes! Whoever thought of this was a genius.

I have nothing against people who derive satisfaction on spending their precious time on social media. But as for me, I could only look back with regret on all the hours I have spent on it, hours that I could have used for something else.

Like learning how to cook a new dish, learning to play a new musical instrument, reading a new book, working out, getting back to my love of photography, being creative in entirely new ways. Heck, even reviving my blog!

I could only look back with regret at the hours I spent over the years. Even 30 minutes a day amounts to a huge amount of time over years. Imagine what I could have done with those hours. Regrets are made.

It may not mean much, and my absence is likely to go unnoticed by most except a few close friends and family. But then it’s not for their benefit that I am checking out. It’s mine, and mine alone.

Checking out, ladies and gents, and in passing let me just say:

May your lives be as fabulous as you make it seem on Facebook.