I have to start by saying thank you. THANK YOU. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all of your texts, tweets, phone calls, comments, and just tidal wave of love and support for my last post about my vitiligo. I cannot tell you how much I needed it. In fact, I didn’t even know how much until I received it. So many of you thanked me for my honesty and courage but it is all of you who let me be honest and courageous because you have made this a safe place, where I can be my authentic self, and you keep lifting me up and coming back for more. I truly cannot thank you all enough!
Since that whole thing was entirely too serious, I figured we could all use a good laugh around here, and who better to laugh at then myself?
Pull up a Bloody Mary and laugh with me!
Ok, so this is not funny in any way, but stay with me here:
You may recall the horribly tragic suicide of Madison Holleran, a college student and track star whose Instagram feed was called into question after the incident occurred. ESPN titled their article about her “Split Screen” and talked about the opposition of social media and reality. Am I the only one who wanted to yell “Well duh?” Don’t we all only post the good, funny, happy pictures, where we angle the camera just right or capture just the right moment? Isn’t that what Facebook and Instagram are for? Not only that, but what do we do when someone airs their dirty laundry on social media? You know the answer. Unfriend!
Obviously Madison was suffering from depression. I haven’t a clue what her everyday life was like but I know her Instagram feed looked like 99% of the population, minus her stunning beauty.
In honor of all that is fake, I want to take you behind the scenes of some of my Instagram posts, so you know exactly what was happening with the click of the camera:
VAUGHN – CRAZY HAIR DAY
My kids hate (HATE!) when I put gel in their hair. They look infinitely more adorable and stylish when I do but they always protest. On this day, it was “crazy hair day” at school and they almost didn’t want to even participate because they knew the dreaded gel was going to be applied! I finally got them to agree to do it and then, I wanted to take a picture. Miles absolutely refused to be in the picture and Vaughn only agreed because I told him I wanted to show it to a very special friend of his. Oh the joy! Even his expression looks like he’s in pain.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY HUSBAND!
This picture was taken on a beach in Key West on May 6, 2006. I reposted it to Instagram on our 9 year anniversary this year. Gorgeous isn’t it? What you can’t possibly see is the level of frustration and anger my new husband felt at being pulled away from his food, and whisked over to snap this shot, in order to capture the sunset. I will never forget how mad he was at being taken from his hot food so we could take a dozen photos on top of the five dozen we already had. Ah weddings. So blissful!
MY ONE AND ONLY RAGNAR RELAY RACE
I’m pretty sure the only reason I’m smiling is because my amazing friend Melissa Burton is taking this picture. It was cold, I was dirty and tired from sleeping in a van, I went searching for a port-o-potty (and unfortunately found one) and it was the middle of the night. Oh and I had to run 9 miles in the dark up huge hills. WTF?
In my defense, I also take plenty of pictures where you know exactly what’s going on. #NoFilter
WELCOME TO CRAZY TOWN AND THE NOISE OF BOYS!
NO SWEARING ALLOWED! I gave up swearing for one day during my 40 Days of Less leading up to my 40th birthday. I almost had to take this drastic a measure because I have such a dirty mouth.
SNOW SUCKS AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT! This winter was brutal and I have the Insta feed to prove it. #ThumbsDown
Sharing on social media is a snapshot of life. You are showing people only what you want to, and that’s ok. It’s probably more then they even want to see anyway. My post about my vitiligo proves that this virtual world can also be super supportive and can connect people in ways that didn’t seem possible just ten years ago. Use your social media powers for good and “LIKE” on!
What are some “behind the scenes” from your pictures?
What do you think about social media vs reality?
I loved your behind the scenes, especially the wedding one. We also got married in 2006 (in July) and my husband actually made sure he eat his food while I was chatting with all our guests trying to be the good hostess. Our maître de actually asked him if his wife was going to eat and he pretty replied that he didn’t know, but he was eating no matter what!! So aw to weddings is right 😉
That is too funny!! I’m so glad our husbands were so focused on us on our respective wedding days!!! LOL.
What is it with little boys and gel? My son won’t go for it either. He runs away every single time. And c’mon. You know you want to do RTB again! 🙂
Seriously?? I thought it was just my two! Good to know.
As for RTB, I’ll do it on YOUR team because you got to shower!! 🙂
Ha I love this post!! Usually what you can’t see behind a lot of the boys pictures is me promising them a lollipop for a smile. I have no problem bribing the children! Also I have to take what seems like a million shots of myself before I find the perfect selfie and half of the time I just give up so now I have tons of selfies on my phone that have never been shown to anyone! (The horror) I agree though. Most times I don’t believe some peoples IG feed if it seems a little too perfect with captions that have been over prepared. #nothanks!
SO true with the bribery!! I do it pretty much all day long. #NoShame
I love that you have a ton of “unused” selfies. I think every blogger does!!
Ha, this is too good. I like to see behind the scenes because often times we get so wrapped up in what others see you know? It’s hard to really see what is real and what is just social media.
Exactly!!! As honest as I try to be, there are definitely those not-so-perfect moments made to look that way.
Well I have good news for you: when your boys enter middle school, they will like gel. And they will like it a lot, and not really understand how to use it and you will laugh at this awkward stage in their lives. By the end of middle school, they will have the hang of it. And now I am teary b/c my middle schooler has one more week before he’s in high school!
Anyhow…life should be unfiltered. I will always be behind those folks (looking at you!) who peel back the curtains and let us see the real vs. the filtered.
Amen to that!!!!
And I feel your pain about your son…although mine are just entering first grade *sniff* and thanks for the heads-up on the gel 🙂
I just read your post from Wednesday and let me just tell you this (although I am so very sure you already know it)…it is what is on the inside that counts and what is on your inside is pure awesomeness!!! It can be so easy for us to say that to our friends or our kids and we really do mean it, but it can be hard to believe it for ourself. Well, believe it. You are so special and so loved and this doesn’t change that one single bit! A disease doesn’t have to be life threatening to make it life altering, but keep your head high and be proud of the amazing mom, wife, runner, friend, and beautiful person that you are! Hugs :)!
Your boys are SO stinking cute!!! I reminded myself of how much I HATE winter yesterday when I was running 2 mile repeats in 90 degrees :).
I try to be real in my social media. I want people to see that I am a real person with ups and downs. I don’t always train perfect or eat perfect or parent perfect, but all you can do is your best :)! I also try not to let it overtake my life. I LOVE the people I have met through it, and I really enjoy it, but I want to be present in my life too :). My husband hates some of the blogs that post pictures of food all day every day. He asks is that all they do all day, eat and stage pictures of food? 🙂
Thank you so much for your words Jen!! I truly appreciate it and I love and value our friendship so, so much. Thank you!!!
Keep your head up in those hot runs! I was chanting “I love summer” the other day when I was out there suffering at the boy’s track practice – they didn’t seem to mind one bit. Gotta love that.
And I so hear your husband on the food pics. I usually don’t take pictures of my food because it always come out horribly!!
Have a great weekend 🙂
Oh my gosh so true! It’s not like I’m posting photos of my normally incredibly cute son absolutely losing it or crawling all over me on the plane. And although my photos from the last few days show me all smiley, I’m actually feeling quite ill and have been laying around like a lazy bum. No one wants to post the bad stuff but I also think there is no reason to believe that what you see is 100% reality of someone’s life.
Exactly!! I really hope you feel better Brittany. Summer colds are the absolute worst!
Oh my goodness, did this ever hit the nail on the head. Too many people filter what they post online in efforts to present a tailored version of themselves to the world. I guess it’s only human nature to want others to see us positively, but the “realness” just isn’t there. It’s a hard line to walk, because what you say is very true — airing dirty laundry can seriously turn people off! I guess it’s hard to find that balance.
Such a fun post idea! Behind the scenes in some of my yoga posing social media pics, my dog has actually just jumped on me, is running in circles around me, or right after the pic, I fall on my face out of the pose! Haha.
Sounds like you may have some good video to post 🙂
So I’m eating my lunch while reading this and almost spit my food out when I got to your RTB photo. hahaha. Love it. And the children, they never want to be in the picture and always make the most ridiculous faces when I try to take their photo! If you only knew what was going on behind the scenes of my photos! I might just have to steal this idea.
So glad I could give you a laugh – RTB never fails in that department 🙂 And YES please steal this! I would love to hear all about your behind the scenes since you seem to take the most gorgeous, perfect yoga shots!
OMG – that wedding behind the scenes… I have been there! Haha!
So many of my gym pics are taken after I spend way too much time picking myself apart. Grass is always greener…
Exactly!!
There’s a song verse somewhere that says “the grass is greener where you water it” and that has always stayed with me 🙂
Of course, I kind of love social media…. and I think that you have to know that it is supposed to be for fun, and most people are posting the best parts of their life…..
Actually, when people repeatedly post depressing things, I tend to unfollow their posts…..
My family generally groans when I want to take a picture of my food….or stop for a family picture….or whatever….and I rarely tag my husband in Facebook pics because he hates getting repeated notifications…..but he has accepted that social media is part of what I do, and goes along with my picture taking…
We have also moved all over the states, so we have friends everywhere….and I love being able to keep up and see them change and their kids grow on FB.
Yes, it IS supposed to be fun. And YES social media has been wonderful for me for staying in touch with old friends, finding new ones and just healthy, fun connections in general. And of course, seeing amazing pictures from Italy!!
Thanks Paria.
Totally awesome! All my pics where my husband and I are in front of food are really him hurrying me up so he can eat the food while it’s hot LOL boys
I love this Allie! It is so true. That line between not airing depressing stuff/dirty laundry and yet capturing a real snapshot of your life. I guess I could have posted a pic of me lying in bed with a bottle of Nyquil and a running nose, looking absolutely terrible while my kids were running around the house yelling at each other over the fact that the other cheated in a board game and my husband was trying to get bath time done.
OR – I could post a pic of my daughter today at her preschool graduation….both are real moments, but I think you’d rather see the happy one!
Ha!!! I love this! xo
RIGHT!!! And, if you’re “lucky” enough to have a blog, you can write about all those moments and actually tell a story. Thank you Natalie and I hope you’re feeling much better!!
Ha, I love that your hubby was mad about the pictures. Mine would have probably been pissed too. Never get in the way of a man and his food, or scotch 🙂
Never! Although, after I posted this he told me that’s not exactly as he remembered it. I of course told him he remembered wrong!! 🙂
Yea, I’m pretty sure they all never remember correctly, lol.
I have plenty of behind the scenes photos that will never see the light of day on social media – that’s what happens when your kids take your phone! Love the backstory to that lovely beach wedding photo – so much more interesting than just a plain ol’ photo shoot.
Oh that is hilarious! I can imagine you have a few just from your last anniversary trip when you did the photo match-ups 🙂