Springtime Musings

In search of balance, because I only get one shot at this life.

A big springtime hello to my subscribers, including a round of new folks!

First things first, if you are receiving this email, its because my website tells me you signed up to hear from me. If that was not your intention, you can unsubscribe at any time :)

If you are new Substack, fear not. Its just a way for me to communicate with my readers without the complexities of social media. All regular blogs will be free, so there is no pressure to upgrade to a paid subscription. At this time, there are no paid perks, so upgrading to a paid plan is simply a way for folks to support my writing if they wish.

At some point I may put my short stories on a subscription plan, but there are a couple up for free including A Cat for the Keeper (for those who like a feel good story) and Resurrection Men (for those who like a gothic flare.)

So…while we are on the topic of social media...

When I first started chronicling my travels to Scotland, I cut my writer’s teeth on Facebook and Instagram. But last week I opted out, for now at least.

This was the message I left for my lovely readers:

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“Each year around this time, I like to bury my face in a lilac bush, inhaling childhood memories that reinvigorate the hopeful, carefree corners of my spirit. As I eagerly await the lilacs this year, I’m finding that the carefree corners have been quietly shrinking as life’s challenges and the world’s noise bully them into a quiet retreat.

Well, I want them back.

I’m about to turn 43, and my ever patient husband and I now share our lives with an uninvited, character building guest called perimenopause. On top of that I’m an empath, so I naturally feel and think…a lot. Now throw social media into that mix. In the apps I’m constantly ricocheting between happy and sad, laughter and tears, inspiration and horror as the best and the worst of the world are hurled at me rapid fire in 30 second chunks. I carry that all around with me in a constant state of emotional overwhelm. Because that’s how an empath lives.

And then there’s my creative side. When I started this page, I just wanted to write and take pictures as I explored my world. But now I grapple with algorithms, advertising and shortening attention spans. Over time it has stifled my creativity.

Social media isn’t evil. I love the community, the collective wisdom and joy, and the celebration of diversity that helps people see that they’re not alone. I’m inspired and enlightened by people on a daily basis.

As with everything, it’s about balance and for me, I want to enjoy a slower pace and less distractions.

So starting tomorrow, I’m logging off for awhile. My park ranger husband is reporting for duty once more, and I just want to enjoy the wilderness with him, build our off grid house, get healthier, read books, be more present as I navigate this new season of womanhood, and spark my creativity again.

I’ll focus on my writing and photography, free from the algorithm overlords. If you fancy keeping up with me off socials, I'll still be writing!

Be kind. Check in on people. Stand up for human rights and decency. Hydrate, eat veggies, go for a walk. Go easy on yourself. You’re only here for a little while, and there will never be another person exactly like you.

Enjoy your summer everyone!

(Picture from 2021 with the aforementioned childhood lilac bush.)”

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I’ve received some lovely messages since that post, and truly appreciate the support. It seems like many of you feel a similar pull towards a better balanced life, where social media is a tool that works for you, not something that controls you, whether you’re a consumer or a creator.

My goal is to write a blog a week where I muse on something or other. Explicitly vague, I know. But thats the beauty of it for me, for now. I want to step out of this strictly Scottish box I’ve been in, and let myself write about whatever moves me, even if it isn’t about Scotland. Maybe it will be about the mink I saw scamper across a log while I was helping Andy with the water line at his duty station. Or maybe it will be about something new I learned. Or something new I tried. Or a new short story. Scottish things aren’t being cut entirely, but they will now be sharing the spotlight with other things in my world.

All I know is I want my creative freedom back. If at any time, you don’t find my musings interesting, thats ok :) I won’t take offense. Life is too short to put our time into things that don’t interest us!

This is the view that greeted us as we made our way to Andy’s duty station for the first time this year. It always reminds me of how lucky I am to have such access to Maine’s wilderness, and what inspiration it holds.

I hope you’ll join me in searching for balance, and finding a path to your goals. For me, I have books I want to write and photos I want to take, and most importantly, a life I want to enjoy. Thank you for signing up to hear from me, it really does make a gal feel good :)

Lilly

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