I was talking to my husband about Carlos.
I was telling him about what he was doing for this amazing man he met in the Atlanta airport – raising money for this man who played piano in the airport. My son piped up and said who are you talking about.
I answered my friend Carlos.
While scrolling through Instagram, I watched some funny reels of Elyse Myers; she is amazing. I explained to my husband that this was someone he should follow on Instagram; she is an advocate for mental health and is creative and so funny. She told a story about a date where she ended up buying 100 tacos, and my son piped up again wanting to hear the story, so I shared it and he asked who was the woman who bought the tacos.
I answered my friend Elyse.
Quite frequently, I will follow some authors I like on Instagram, and I love when they go live. I laugh and laugh at so many of their stories. I follow one author and she is so insightful and bold with what she shares. She refers to people as Saints and Aints and my son cracks up when he hears her say that. He asked me who it was.
I answered my friend Jackie.
I love to learn and consider myself a “Governerd.” I have donated to her ventures and caused and even sport an insulated tumbler that states that I am guilty of being a nerd. She will take to Instagram and do her makeup all while explaining the Declaration of Independence and the political culture of our country. While doing her make-up one day and sharing her wisdom, my son asked who it was that I was watching
I answered my friend Sharon.
While watching the Amazing Race this year, one of my favorite couples from Instagram was the winner. I’ve followed them for some time on Instagram and then tuned into the Amazing Race to see how they did each week. From seeing them on Instagram and hearing their parodies, my son piped up during a commercial for the show and said, “Those are your friends on that show.”
I answered, yes my friends Kim and Penn.
I follow quite a few mothers on Instagram. One that has been on a wild fertility journey with loss after loss, one that does an amazing job budgeting and eating a plant-based diet, one that recently had a stroke and has seen her make a remarkable comeback, one that has a unique perspective on her religion that intrigues me.
They are my friends Alex, Amy, and Lindsey.
Here is the funny part.
My “friends” have no idea who I am. I know all about every detail of their lives and what they do on the daily, but they don’t even know that I breathe air, yet I consider them friends.
My son asked me one day about Carlos and if he had raised enough money to build the churches. I said, “Carlos who?” And he replied, “Your friend on the phone.”
So are Instagram friends REAL friends?
Yes, but they are NO substitute for the real-life friends that know you exist and breathe air.
So find some ways to learn on Instagram. Follow those people that add to your life and can become your “Instagram Friends” and then go find friends that you can talk to about those friends and engage in real two-way communication. There is nothing that can replace the real thing.
