Deception of Social Media

With the Internet we have all the world at our finger tips. Yet with the over abundance of social media we fall into the trap of comparing our everyday lives to someone else’s highlight reel.

Let’s be realistic. We don’t have fun, memorable evenings with our closest friends every night. We don’t work out every day, have the greatest, problem-free love story, eat only amazing meals, and travel non-stop. Even pilots’ wives don’t travel constantly, despite what you interpret from our Instagrams.

A pilot’s wife’s life is not easy or always filled with jet setting. We have plenty of lonely, rainy nights like tonight. We go to many parties and weddings alone. We nurse ourselves and our babies back from sicknesses and surgeries alone. It’s not easy, but we have learned to work really hard.

Sometimes, to help get through those exhausting and stressful days, we have getaways where we fly standby to hopefully catch a few rays and sight see. We cross our fingers that we get there and not loose money on hotel reservations because we are spending the evening in an airport in Appleton, WI. It is a perk, but I’ve had many trips where we spent more time trying to get home than we actually spent in our destination.

But on social media, all you see are the pictures. I have found myself not posting things I would like to share with my family and friends because of passive aggressive comments that stem from jealousy. My intention is to never make people feel badly or cause hurt feelings but simply to share in exciting times, the same way I like to see when my friends get promotions, new homes, married, or babies. I hate that we have created a society that retreats to jealousy before rejoicing. I hate that people feel the need to make themselves look better so they can feel better about themselves.

I don’t mean to sound negative. I know that I live a charmed life and I like to share it with those close to me. I want to be able to share my blessings, but people don’t always see behind the cover. This is for more than just pilots’ wives. You never know what someone has gone through to get where they are. You may judge people by their choices, but you don’t know what they had to choose from. So when in doubt, choose love and joy and I promise life gets more beautiful.

Note whore

I'm a sucker for notes. Mailed, hidden, left on the counter, written on the mirror from the shower steam. My husband is often the victim of my obsession on making sure people know what I think of them through the written word. For birthdays, Christmas, anniversary, national ice cream day, my husband gets a card. Usually more than one. I hide them in his bag, fold them into paper airplanes, put glitter in them. I'm like a five year old on speed at a craft store with a credit card. 

In addition I have a ridiculous amount of stationary and personalized letterhead. But this week I couldn't resist. I saw these sticky notes and can't wait to hide them in DH's bag. Hehe ... I'm going to drive him nuts ... But I can't use them for anyone else so he better just suck it up and appreciate it! 

D Day

Oh the dangers of departure day. 

DH started long haul almost three years ago. Since then, I am starting to realize I respond in so many different ways. Regional lines I had no problem with, but heading into a trip knowing it's about 18 days is more difficult. 

Reaction one - picking fights. The night before he leaves, typically when he's packing, I get frustrated and angry over stupid stuff. Finally my understanding husband simply sighed and said, "you're anxious because I'm leaving tomorrow." Lightbulb. He was completely right. Any issue that has come up I want to discuss and resolve that night instead of enjoying the time together. Last night hubs avoided that by promptly taking me for ice cream. He knows he's audience. 

Reaction two - physically ill. I didn't realize the correlation till recently. The human body continues to amaze me with how it reacts. 

Reaction three - sweat it away. This is my go-to. I hit the gym for a few hours. I release endorphins and feel better about myself. Definitely my most healthy reaction. 

Reaction four - self-indulgence. Direct inverse relationship with number three, but sometimes wings or queso just make you feel better. 

Reaction  - retail therapy. I always feel the need to treat myself. Pedicure, new top, something. Something physical to distract me from being emotional. Such was the case today. I perhaps took it a little extreme today. The sunny skies and warm air had me ona roll at the outlets. Oh well, I'll just inform hubs after his next leg ... When he's in Honolulu. 

Lucky, lucky readers

Lets be honest about this ... I suck at blogging. Partly because of the nature of this blog. Every time I sit to write I'm motivated by frustration. Who wants to read a blog that's completely made up of venting? But I guess in all reality I never wrote this for anyone but myself and to be apart of the airline wives community. 

When I was in high school, there was a website called Teen Open Diary. It was a precursor to MySpace and even Blogs ... And I was obsessed. Why? I think mostly for the therapy in all of it. Not that you necessarily need, or want, anyone to read. More to put it in the universe and hope that karma, the good kind, comes back to you. 

So with that, I will write more. PLUS,!8 just discovered the Blogger app. Now I can blog while I pee. Aren't you lucky readers?