Embracing the Next 25 Years at 54: Dreams, Love, and Abundant Joy

As I stand at the crossroads of 54, there’s an invigorating sense of anticipation that courses through my veins. The next quarter-century stretches ahead, filled with countless opportunities, dreams waiting to be realized, and experiences ready to be embraced. It’s a remarkable feeling, akin to standing on the cusp of something truly magical.

One thing that fuels my excitement is the notion of finding a partner to share this incredible journey with. Love, as I’ve come to realize, is like a powerful drug that infuses every aspect of our lives with meaning and vitality. Just as a drug can ignite our senses and make us feel alive, so too can love awaken our hearts and souls. It’s a force that brings out the best in us, inspires us to be better versions of ourselves, and reminds us that life is a beautiful tapestry of shared moments.

At 54, I wholeheartedly believe that love isn’t a finite resource; it’s an abundant wellspring that flows endlessly. As I look forward to the next 25 years, I’m filled with a hopeful desire to cultivate and nurture love in all its forms. Whether it’s romantic love, the love of friends and family, or even the love we extend to ourselves, there’s an infinite capacity within us to give and receive this precious gift.

As I ponder the dreams that I hold for the future, I’m reminded of the quote, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” And create it, I shall. There’s a world of experiences waiting to be discovered, dreams waiting to be chased, and goals waiting to be achieved. These next 25 years are my canvas, and I plan to paint it with the vibrant colors of adventure, growth, and fulfillment.

Speaking of colors, I can’t help but think about the vibrant hues of health and happiness that I wish for my friends as we journey forward. As we navigate the complexities of life, I hope that each of my friends finds a path paved with good health, boundless joy, and the kind of laughter that lifts the spirit. It’s these cherished relationships that make life truly rich, and I’m excited to continue sharing memories, stories, and laughter with them in the years to come.

So here’s to the next 25 years—a tapestry woven with dreams, fueled by love, and graced with the presence of dear friends. As I step into this new chapter of life, I’m reminded that age is just a number, but the enthusiasm and zest for life are timeless. Let’s embrace each day with an open heart, a determined spirit, and an unshakeable belief that the best is yet to come.

Can the social web be fixed?

There are two aspects to social web… where your peeps are and features to communicate.

Where your peeps are

Social media has been around for quite a long time. Long before Facebook and people have moved from network to network. You follow your friends to the next big thing and hope that most people will join you. When the first iPhones came out there was a social network called iRovr. At the time, Apple was trying to convince developers to create web based apps that would be used with Safari. They tried for a while until they decided to create the App Store and that’s when Social really changed for the online community.

We had a bunch of new Apps come around for social, like 4Square, Treehouse, and more. The communities were small to begin with and like anything, the cost to maintain the networks became overwhelming and difficult to do. And they have since gone by the waste side.

But then the mega social media websites battled it out, MySpace and Facebook came on the scene, and Facebook won out with a more consistent look and feel.

There were plenty of other online communities out there, whether you think of AOL and chat rooms, some dating apps created themselves as a ad hoc social media app as well. And do you even care where your peeps are? Or do you just want to find new peeps?

Features

Really it’s all about what it can do. What information can you share? How easy is it for you to use? What features do they offer?

  • Does it have a Web and App interface?
  • Is it offered on both iOS and Android?
  • Can you upload photos from your phone?
  • Does it have built in GIFs to respond to comments?
  • What kind of emojis can you use to respond to posts? Can you just ❤️ a post or have more reactions?
  • How do the comments work?
  • Can you search the network?
  • Is hashtagging a thing?
  • Can you tag your friends?
  • Are there communities within the app?
  • How are the privacy settings?
  • How much scrolling can you do?
  • What is the situation with videos, creating and remixing?

Given everything we know the new social media offerings of 2023 seem to suggest that change is the only constant we have going on. Some will live and some will die on the vine. Here’s the big media players.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • X (Maybe) Formerly Twitter
  • Threads
  • Mastodon
  • BlueSky
  • Snapchat
  • TikTok

What do you use? How do you like to engage the social media landscape?