{"id":24622,"date":"2015-02-15T17:03:05","date_gmt":"2015-02-15T20:03:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tracyleekarner.com\/?p=24622"},"modified":"2015-02-15T17:03:05","modified_gmt":"2015-02-15T20:03:05","slug":"s-is-for-step-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tracyrittmueller.com\/2015\/02\/15\/s-is-for-step-back\/","title":{"rendered":"S is for "Step Back""},"content":{"rendered":"

In my quest to “Live Well, despite Everything,”<\/a> I shall soon say “So Long to you my friends, until we meet again.”
\nWalt Whitman said it better:<\/p>\n

Dear friend, whoever you are, take this kiss,
\nI give it especially to you–Do not forget me;
\nI feel like one who has done work for the day, to retire awhile…
\nAn unknown sphere, more real than I dream’d, more direct, darts awakening rays about me–So long!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I’m stepping back from\u00a0social media<\/strong> beginning\u00a0February 18th (Ash Wednesday) until after April 5th (Easter). I’m following the example of my blogger-friends Kathleen Pooler<\/a> and Shirley Showalter<\/a>.
\nShirley\u00a0writes in \u00a0Entering Lent and Leaving Social Media Behind: Welcoming a More Passive Life<\/a><\/strong><\/em>:
\n“As grateful as I am for the Active Life made possible by social media, there\u2019s a part of me that needs more time for rest and reflection.\u00a0I crave a more Passive Life for awhile. I want to surrender to silence.\u00a0To show you how my brain has\u00a0 been trained, I wrote those words and then thought, \u201cThat would make a great tweet.\u201d\u00a0\":-)\"\u00a0I need to stop looking for inspiring 140-character quotes and start listening to my own questions.”
\nThank you Kathy<\/a> and Shirley<\/a>, for encouraging me to\u00a0experience whatever will happen when\u00a0we\u00a0combine the season of Lent with a sabbatical.
\nFor me, this shall be a time of stillness, patience and listening. A time for Silence.
\nI know the benefits of silence (I practice silence daily), and I joyfully anticipate receiving more\u00a0of what Silence does for me:<\/strong><\/p>\n