No Social Media Experiment

 I had a revelation this morning while driving my son to school. I was surfing through channels on Sirius XM because they took away the mindless program I used to listen to in the morning, "Fantasy Football Morning." Fantasy football is a longtime hobby of mine and I enjoyed listening to fellow blockheads who shared that passion. Now it is gone.

[Whenever I find something that I really enjoy, the powers that be must find out about it and take it away, just to make me miserable: "Mike and Mike" on ESPN -- I watched that for years, then ESPN decided it was a good idea to get rid of it. Then Sirius XM launched a great channel a few years ago called "Volume," which was all music talk, all day. I listened to the channel morning, afternoon and night. I loved it. Then they took it away.]

Now they've taken away "Fantasy Football Morning," which I have enjoyed for several years. It sucks. One common theme to all these programs I enjoyed listening to? They never talked about politics. 

So, while desperately trying to find something to entertain me this morning (I settled on BBC World Service), I concluded that I cannot get away from politics anymore. And I cannot accept that. 

I know these are beyond turbulent times in the USA. We are a divided nation and I do not think that division will ever be repaired. I personally think the "great American experiment," as George Washington once eloquently described it, is sounding its death rattle. 

Politics and political talk consume everything, and seemingly, everyone. And it is ugly. 

Social media especially is a vicious, vacant black hole of political brimstone. Facebook. Reddit. Twitter. Threads. All are disgusting. Strangers insulting strangers. Threats being made. The hate in this country is palpable. I've finally reached the breaking point.

Which brings me back to my revelation today: I can control what I am exposed to. I don't need all this social media garbage! My god, what a refreshing thought! Constant exposure to negativity and anger and paranoia and outright hate wears on one's psyche. Not only is it unhealthy for the soul, it is a breeding ground for contempt, and ultimately, depression. I refuse to be pulled into the offal.

I am not sticking my head in the sand; I will continue to follow current events from proper, reliable sources (AP, Reuters, BBC -- yes, these are reliable sources; no, they do not report "fake news." Get a fucking brain cell). 

My plan of action:

I actually deleted my Twitter accounts more than a month ago, which was a good start. I knew I could control that. It's not much, but I felt good about doing it.

Reddit is gone. It is a fun place to explore, but it also has its share of angst. I'm too old for angst.

Facebook is worst of all and I only have an account because of my band; I need a personal account in order to have a business account. (Facebook used to be a fun, pleasant place to interact. It certainly isn't anymore, and I don't see it ever getting back to good). My solution to limit Facebook exposure was to download the Business Suite app which allowed me to remove the Facebook app from my devices. Again, it's not much, but I can control that.

I will keep Instagram only because my kids like to share videos and pictures with me from time to time. But the Threads app from Instagram is another dark, dark place to wander.

So I am going to try this experiment for a month (today is March 5) and see how I feel about... things. No social media other than Instagram. It will be difficult at first because social media triggers that "addictive" part of the brain. But if I could stop drinking alcohol for six weeks, I can easily do this.

It will also mean I will be reading books and writing a lot more, which is always a good thing. I think this is going to be a great, healthy change for me. I am excited to try it.

Random picture of the day: Portraits of wolves, taken at Dottie's Hometown Cafe in Grand Rapids, MN. Saturday morning, 1 March 2025.

Immortal for a Limited Time

I never met Neil Peart, but I consider him my greatest inspiration.

Peart was the drummer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band Rush. Critics and music fans have universally regarded him as one of the best drummers in the history of rock and roll, as well as one of the genre’s most insightful lyricists.

You can surrender without a prayer,
but you can never really pray without surrender.
 — Neil Peart

Throughout his career, Peart was bestowed with hundreds of honors in the music world, including the ultimate distinction: induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.

But he was much more than a world class musician.

When I was a teenager, I read a quote from Peart, which I will paraphrase: the relentless pursuit of knowledge should be the driving force in all we do. As a kid in complete awe of his talent, those were words I needed to hear. That impression has lasted my lifetime.

However, it wasn’t just his relentless pursuit of knowledge and masterful drumming talent that elevated Peart to “hero” status for me. A tragic turn of events in Peart’s life solidified my deep admiration for his character as a human being.

In 1997, Peart’s 19-year-old daughter was killed in a car accident. Ten months later, he lost his wife to breast cancer. Understandably, he went into dark place and his desire to play music was gone. He said he had to “keep moving or die,” so in the fall of 1998, he got on his motorcycle and just … moved.

In the end, he traveled extensively throughout North and Central America — 55,000 miles — riding alone on his motorcycle and keeping a detailed journal of his emotions and experiences on the road.

Peart found the act of traveling alone a soul cleansing experience. The journal he carried became a touching book about his odyssey of healing, called Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road.

Don’t leave spontaneity to chance.
 — Neil Peart

Peart published seven non-fiction books in his lifetime, focused on travel, music and personal stories. All are delightful reads.

After a period of mourning, he rejoined his bandmates and Rush toured the world for 15 more years, releasing some of the best music of their 40 year career.

He found happiness again, too. He remarried and became the proud father of a daughter in 2009.

When my son was born in 2009, I named him Neil.

~~~

Neil Peart kept his battle with glioblastoma private. When he died on 7 January 2020, the music world was stunned. He was 67 years old.

I wept when I heard of his passing. I felt a little foolish, shedding tears over a man I had never met, but he truly felt like a friend, a mentor and a teacher.

I guess that’s exactly what he was.

We’re only immortal for a limited time.
 —Neil Peart