May I vent for a moment? OK, thanks.
Social media is often The Devil, I’m convinced. But, it is an interesting devil. It can be very revealing about us humans.
For example, one of our trekkers just posted something on Facebook about he and his wife booking a ​trip to Tanzania​ this spring, and inviting his friends to join them. The vast majority of the responses were like this:
- “Wowzers! I’ll just live vicariously through you guys!”
- “I want to go! Maybe someday…”
- “Jealous!”
- “I’d go with you, but I have a paper cut.”
- “So cool! Wish I could do that, but I’d have to leave my comfy bed.”
And so on and so forth. These comments are exactly what you can expect to find on almost any similar post.
WARNING: DANGEROUS RANT DEAD AHEAD.
This stuff drives me nuts, as you can probably guess. To me, these types of comments are designed — whether consciously or subconsciously — to make the commenter come off as 1) busier, 2) less frivolous, and 3) less prosperous than the person who made the post, as if those qualities are somehow badges of honor. They’re not.
Our social-media culture has become very soft, I’m afraid. It is much easier to sit at home and make snide, clever remarks on Facebook rather than to actually do something. In my view, “living vicariously” through someone else isn’t living at all; it’s just looking at your phone. There is existing — going through the motions of life — and there is actual living. The latter is about experiencing things in person, not via social media. It’s about having the guts to stand in a long line at the airport, be uncomfortable on a plane, eat weird food, figure out foreign currency, and deal with a few nights of poor sleep.
And I’ve found that the people who do things like overseas adventure travel are extremely busy people who are not at all frivolous, but who have decided to prioritize experiences over “things.” Experiences, you see, create memories. Things just create … bills.
In the case of Hobnail Trekking, the bottom line is this: Every one of our adventures is within reach of almost anyone both financially and physically. Some people might roll there eyes at this statement, but it’s true. There is nothing magical about doing an epic adventure — you simply have to decide to do it and make it happen. For some, this might require a year or more of saving, planning, and training, but it is always worth the effort.
So, don’t be that person who “lives vicariously” through others. Be the other. And do that thing not for the social media currency, but because it will make your life richer in memories, perspective, and a thousand other ways.
End of sermon. Keep on trekking and talk soon!
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