Meanwhile, At the Corner of Disappointment and Disillusionment

 Dear Henry,

In the early 1990s, I began reading Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" books and was hooked on the story. I was so hooked, in fact, that I started stalking bookstores for the latest release.  

The "Wheel of Time" is a tremendously long story, and in 2006, eleven books into the series, I began watching impatiently for the next book while simultaneously hoping he would wrap the story up. But that was not to be. Robert Jordan was diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis and died in 2007.   

I was so disappointed that I wasn't going to learn the end of the story, and recently, I've found myself back in that place of disappointment.

Years ago, when the injuries from "the accident" required an early retirement, I had anticipated earning "enough" from the advertisement revenues on my blogs and the occasional photography sale. I never expected to gain the popularity of Didion or Adams, but I thought I could earn something. I had read all social media marketing books, taken several courses, posted regularly, and always responded to everyone, just like the books tell you to do.

It has yet to work. In fact, my social media marketing strategies have failed so badly that I've had to get a part-time job at a bookstore to pay for all of this mess. It's been a painful lesson, and I'm struggling to cope physically with the job's demands and emotionally with the disappointment of failing to make this all work.

I've also learned, over the years, that social media isn't necessarily a good place to be. I have received too many messages containing both sexes' naked bits and bobs, sales pitches for bitcoins, and requests to use my information freely in exchange for a branded water bottle. I've also grown tired of the constant stream of contrary and argumentative comments, and I've grown tired of a culture that insists on victimizing itself. Most importantly, I am tired of writing content for free. The worst thing has been the psychological triggers of "unworthiness" because my posts haven't done as well as others, and I haven't gotten the web traffic from social media that the books promised. 

I feel very taken advantage of and secretly suspect that the only people who make money from social media besides Zuckerberg and Musk are the writers of How to Market Your Website on Social Media.  

While I recognize the need, as an artist and a writer, to maintain a social media presence, I have decided to refrain from writing content for social media, nor will I try to post daily. From now on, I will only post updates and links to my work and perhaps the occasional meme. 

Because of the physical challenges of working at the bookstore, I have watched more television than usual and discovered Amazon's "Wheel of Time" production. And, like any person who has read the books, I realized that there are differences between the two stories, which has caused me to begin re-reading the books. I'd discovered that Brandon Sanderson had, with the help of Robert Jordan's notes and outlines, finished the story.

I plan to take a break, re-read, and finish the story.  

xoxo a.d. elliott

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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, writer, and photographer currently living in Salem, Virginia. 

In addition to the travel writings at www.takethebackroads.com, you can also read her book reviews at www.riteoffancy.com and US military biographies at www.everydaypatriot.com

Her online photography gallery can be found at shop.takethebackroads.com

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