To like or not to like. This is our generation's question.

I had an idea about a blog several weeks ago. Written down I had nothing but the title: To like or not to like. Tonight this idea came back when I, once again, checked my facebook for notifications. Sure, there were a few likes on a couple of instagrams I had posted but that's it. As I so often do, I got sidetracked and ended up on someone's page, checking out their profile picture (and no you won't ever guess who it is muahaha). There it was again. That familiar feeling of "Oh look. They got a bajillion 'likes' on their photo. So many people commenting. I wonder what it's like to be that popular."

Bam! That thought. That one right there. "I wonder what it's like to be popular." I like to imagine that everyone has this running through their head at least once in their lifetime. Even the popular kids. Nowadays you don't even have to leave your house in order to feel inferior. Just spend enough time on social networking sites and you'll see what I mean. Go on facebook and there are people who, no matter what they post, it could be a picture of a wall for all I care, and they'll probably get 30 'likes' on it. Go on Twitter and they'll get retweeted and favourited all the time. Go on Tumblr and their posts will probably get over 500 notes within a couple of days. And then you have the poor suckers who might post something really awesome, have a great picture, or something really neat to say and... nothing. Oh and don't worry. This post isn't something about how I'm one of those poor suckers who whines about never getting any attention and who desperately longs to be one of the "cool kids". We'll get to that later.

Growing up I always wondered if they're just born with it. Are some people just born cool? Or is coolness and popularity actually attainable? If so, WHERE and HOW do I sign up? I never really fit into any stereotypical group either at home, in school, in church, or in college. Not a part of the skinny hipster chicks, not a part of the nerds, not a part of the musically talented who jam together, not a part of the book smarts who study together, not a part of the street smarts, not a part of any group. This left me feeling isolated and jokingly I often assumed the part of the gullible, derpy person. You know. The person who always makes fun of herself, who trips over things, who misspeaks, and who generally is there to serve as laughing stock for others.

Social media just served as a big reminder of what I thought my identity among my friends was. And every time I would post something I thought many people would like, I was apparently proven wrong, assuring me even more so that I'll never be that popular kid. I'll never be that kid who everybody looks up to. I'll never be that kid who gets all the attention from others.
And surprisingly... I'm learning to be ok with it, because really: what does it matter anyway? I look at the moments I was so desperately seeking attention in and once I received it, I felt no different. All I craved was more attention. More likes. More favourites. More notes. And the more I got the more I needed.

The thing that was hard for me to realize in all of this is that my identity is not wrapped up in facebook likes. And it certainly isn't wrapped up in how many page counts this post will get, because the truth is that I'm not doing this for others. If others enjoy my creations and the products of my mind then that is absolutely fantastic! I love it. But if they don't, why should that somehow diminish my worth as a human being? I'm sure that as we will enter into God's glory in the future, He won't stop us at the gate and ask us how many likes, comments, favourites, and notes we received but rather what shape our hearts where in and how we cared for His people. I don't care if I'm well known for being a great person. I just want to be a great person to everyone around me. And I think that's all that matters. :)

xo