Five Minute Friday: Connect

Being a stay at home mom, I think it's ultra important to find ways to stay connected to the outside, adult world. My trouble is that I like hiding at home, safely sequestered away, and I honestly think, if it weren't for Michael, I might not ever leave the house at all, or try to connect with other moms or friends.  Of course, if it weren't for Michael, I'd still be out in the working world, forced that way to connect with other people...

Technology is making it easier and easier to be disconnected, at least on a personal, face-to-face level. I talk less and less on the phone, happier to shoot off a quick text, status update, tweet, or, if I have the time, an email. Email has become inconvenient--had you noticed? We have less time for people. But what are we doing that we've become so busy?

But technology has also given us other greater ways to connect. Once I started blogging, I quickly found ways to link up with other blogs, drawing inspiration from prompts, themes, and memes. I've even made several, okay 'virtual' friends through blogging, but friends all the same who share similar interests. And now I've discovered a whole slew of art blogs that encourage creativity, offering weekly or monthly prompts, tutorials, challenges, and there as well we link up to connect with each other, check out what everyone else is doing out there in the creative world and so stirs the inspiration pot.

It may not be everyone's ideal way of being connected, but it's working for me, and it's helping keep me sane this year, and reaching out rather than hiding away. How do you connect?