I thought I was a Real Estate Broker, but the last few years it’s been all about desk top publishing/marketing and advertising via social networking. Makes “hauling & hoping” not look so bad after all!

So now what?  In the piece I admitted, for all the world to hear, that I felt as if I was no longer a writer, but a publicist–to which a former editor, after telling me that she enjoyed the piece, added these two sentences:

I love that you’re becoming a writer again.  I was starting to run from Melinda the Publicist

I’m not surprised.  I was getting hints of that from friends.   I wanted people to see what I had seen in the research, to appreciate the power of their own social convoys.  Clearly,  I had overdone it!

So now that I’ve metaphorically raised my hand to announce, “I’m Melinda and social media has made my life unmanageable,” what does “recovery” look like? Where does my admission leave me–and this blog?  Here’s what I learned and what I plan to do:

Right-size. I’m not going to abandon all social media, but I will put it in perspective.  When I’m on line, I chat, answer emails, research, read emails, play Lexulous on Facebook–much of it is social time.  I’m soaking up information or  exchanging ideas.   Just as I’d schedule a trip to the library, or an appointment with a colleague–and wouldn’t spend five hours in either place–I will plan and allocate my Internet time as well.

Balance. It’s not all bad.  I have connected with tens (that’s not a typo!) of new people through Facebook, Twitter and this blog–people whose ideas resonate with my own, people I wouldn’t have otherwise met.  They are younger or older, they live all over the world, and I love the exchange of ideas.  One of my new social media buddies captured this–in 480 characters:

I just read your article. I agree that we can easily fall into the “hype” and lose track of other things. But, without that hype I may not…have found Consequential Strangers. That “hype” has allowed me to appreciate the people in my life who I didn’t realize mattered. I have…also met tons of other people who have changed my thoughts. So, thank you for the Hype! I look forward to more in 2010.

Broaden. This is what you can expect in 2010. I will continue to tweet, write, and comment, here and on other blogs, but I won’t just write about consequential strangers.  (That said, almost every discussion involves social connections!)   But I needn’t limit myself.   Right now, in fact, I’m mulling over a post entitled, “Sixty-five Is the New Black.”   (Don’t ask. I won’t tell.)

Digital life has become a constant offering of links.  Read this, because someone you admire suggests it. Read this, because the information will help you [fill in the blank].  Read this, because it’s outrageous.  Read this for a good laugh. Read this, because it will bring a tear to your eye and rest0re your belief in humanity. I only recently have begun to give myself permission to not have to read it all.   Enticing, fascinating, and compelling though it all may be, my day simply isn’t long enough or my brain wide enough.  

The best we can do is think of ourself as gold miners–sifting through the stream, plucking out nuggets that seem to glitter, and then storing them to examine later.  It’s so time consuming, that we either give up altogether or rely on others to do the panning for us.   For example, I trust Mashable.com to keep me up to date on social media.   Which brings me back to my point of this (somewhat shorter) entry:  I will continue to try to be concise.  Except when I can’t.  Thanks for understanding.