The Rose of Sharon is blooming. I have two of them, both of which were given to me by my friend Noble, tiny cuttings taken from his gorgeous bushes. One of the cuttings is a bit behind this one. It’s looking full and lovely but I suspect it won’t bloom until next year. I love these old-fashioned members of the hibiscus family.

Another air quality warning today. It’s endless. Either it’s raining and thundering or it’s not raining but incredibly humid or it’s not raining but it’s not very safe for someone like me to go outside. For much of the summer, I have felt trapped indoors. Very, very frustrating. I know some of you are suffering from drought or temps in the triple digits.

In regards to yesterday’s post, remember that social media in itself isn’t a bad thing. In fact, I’ve gained a lot from social media. I’ve come to know so many wonderful people, including all of you. I’ve made contacts I wouldn’t have been able to make in my wildest dreams if not for social media. It’s brought my work to the attention of magazine publishers and I’ve been published at least 4 or 5 times. It’s given me a professional web site for my theatrical coaching, which has brought me work. For those of us who work in the arts, it is an absolute necessity nowadays. I used to have a book review blog and I repeatedly heard from authors who said that publishers and potential  publishers wanted authors to have an online presence in social media. Authors publicize their books through social media. In fact, Louise Penny thanked me when I met her – she said that bloggers sharing her work were a big part of her success. Musicians post about their work through social media. They post videos, share their process, and publicize their upcoming gigs – they can no longer rely on a manager or a big recording company to do that. Visual artists do the same. And as someone who works in theater and film, I have to stay connected through social media. I have taught hundreds of students, I’ve worked with hundreds of actors, many, many directors and designers, and at scads of theaters. Keeping in touch with them is essential. And I don’t just do it because I have to. I also treasure those relationships and want  to. I’ve been hired because I’m on social media. Actors contact me for coaching through social media. I used social media to publicize my book reviews back when I was reviewing books on an almost-daily basis. After a 40+ year career in the theater, I’ve found social media to be invaluable. I remember the day I joined Facebook. Suddenly, scads and scads of my former students started popping up and I cried. To have a way of staying in contact with them, of knowing how they were doing? Priceless. Both Don and I have extensive contacts after our decades in the performing arts. Plus, I’m in touch with childhood friends and fellow summer camp counselors, friends from college and grad school, cousins and nieces and nephews, former next-door neighbors from my childhood, the list goes on and on and on.

So. It’s not social media that’s the problem. It’s simply a matter of controlling how much time I spend there. And that’s up to me and only me. I’m in charge of my time usage.

But, make no mistake, I am very, very grateful for it. It’s opened up my world in ways that I could never imagine a couple of decades ago.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.