Sunday, August 11, 2024

Today, I'm going to be meeting up with my friend Andy to get dinner at Red Rock Torrance. He's bringing a friend along who just recently moved to California. It's really funny how Andy and I met each other. We randomly got connected through Omegle, a site where you were able to meet with complete strangers and have a video conversation--at least until one person or the other disconnected. We both were active musicians at the time, and that's how we formed our connection. It turns out he lived in California too. We met up, and we became really good friends. Whenever we meet, it's like no time had passed and we just pick up right where we left off. Andy showed up for my birthday party this year. Usually my birthdays are depressing and isolating, but I had a wholesome one in 2024. Thank you everyone who was able to attend and show up for me during what is usually one of the hardest times in the year for me.

As I had mentioned in a previous post, I quit social media. It's surprising how much social media resembles consumption of substances, even though it's different--meaning it can become a behavioral addiction in contrast to substance addiction. My withdrawal symptoms closely resembled how I felt when I made the decision for myself to live a healthier life, one free from chemical dependence. I get urges to check my phone, which I've noticed in myself. The first three days sucked baaaalls. But thankfully it's not as severe as withdrawals from chemicals. I've been learning about dopamine and it's role in our behavior and how it relates to addiction. Maybe the world didn't change much at all, but I did. And since I experience the world 24/7 through my own eyes, my own world improved. I became aware of who my real friends are, and even though I had 900+ Facebook friends, I didn't really know who would actually show up for me. It all became a huge time dump and source of unhealthy comparison to people who were on the surface, living drastically better lives than me.

I may update as today goes on, but this is what I got for ya. Thanks for reading