Living

 

My friend died today. I'd never met her in person, only online. 

Despite severe limitations of enduring stage 4 cancer during the COVID pandemic, Bex knew how to live. She inspired me (I hate to say someone with cancer is an inspiration as that is intensely annoying - they are just getting on with it, as anyone would). But Bex did inspire me. She showed me how to live.

She planned her funeral a few months ago. She wanted to be ready and not leave loose ends undone. 

Despite pain and breathlessness and the other seemingly endless side effects of having cancer, she got on with her life. Bex knew how to live. She went for walks, enjoyed friends (socially distanced of course) and appeared to squeeze every drop of joy out of each day. 

I will hugely miss Bex. It heartened me to interact with her on social media. She didn't gloss over her problems and fought to make known that 31 people per day die of stage 4 breast cancer in the UK #Iamthe31. 

For the last few weeks I've been looking out for Bex's posts on Instagram each evening. I'm going to miss our online chat tonight. I'm sorry for myself but glad for her, so glad for her. She is no longer living here but enjoying fullness of life in paradise. 

Rest in peace, Bex. See you soon 💜

It Started with a Tweet

I borrowed this from my local library a couple of months ago; I was looking for something I'd not read before and was attracted by the title. I enjoyed it so much that when I spotted it in a bookshop recently, I squeaked with excitement and bought it.

Each chapter is headed with, 'Time since last Internet usage:  '.  Initially the time is in seconds but as the book goes on this changes.

It opens with social media addict Daisy on a hen do. She comes across as fun, overworked and shallow, living her busy London life through her social media accounts. Until she accidentally sends a very personal and inappropriate tweet from her work Twitter account. She gets the retweets and likes she's been craving... along with a deluge of unwanted attention and the prompt termination of her employment in a social media marketing agency.

At this point her older sister swoops in and carries her off to North Yorkshire for a social media detox which involves tossing both their mobile phones down a well.

During her detox, Daisy rediscovers the satisfaction of being present, of living life here and now rather than through her phone. She realises she doesn't have to tweet and Instagram every single mundane moment of her day: who cares what she's eating for breakfast?

This is a funny book with plenty of laugh out loud moments. Though lighthearted it's not frivolous: it makes the reader re-evaluate how we use social media and how easy it is to get addicted to our smartphones.

It's a brilliant read and I'm happy to award it 5*.