Over the past several years I’ve written a number of mini essays for Instagram, and I don’t often go back to read them. This week, a new follower commented on a 2ish-year old post, and even though it’s pinned to the top of my page, I hadn’t thought about it in a long time. It was fun to revisit, and goes to the heart of why I view this time in life as one of such great possibility- in a word, wisdom. The ability to synthesize all of our experience and knowledge and to apply it to life, now. The ability to metabolize things that at one time we could barely digest, let alone tap for energy. Wisdom doesn’t mean you have all of the answers, but it does light the path to discovering them. You’ll have to keep reading to see what tomatoes have to do with it- I promise, it makes sense!
I started to share more of my writing on Instagram over the past few years because as I described in my “about'' section here, publishing a blog post (pre-Substack) sometimes felt like tossing a message in a bottle out to sea- I never knew if it would be found and/or read. On IG, I found more engagement and community, and for a while, it was all growing at a nice clip. At some point, though, the algorithm began to favor video content (and who knows what else), and while I can cobble together a Reel every now and then, I’m no video producer lol, and honestly, that just doesn’t feel fun to me. I have friends there who are brilliant at it, but I decidedly am not.
I haven’t paid attention to the analytics in a long time, but I decided to look back at the numbers from my last post on January 19th, 2024 compared with the post I’m sharing below from February 21, 2022. The difference in reach was truly staggering- 706 accounts reached last week, versus 34,080 just shy of 2 years ago. Just wow.
I must have offended the algorithm along the way!
I mean I’m not rewriting the Magna Carta here, or splitting the atom, but even a mini essay takes thought and time. Suffice it to say that those numbers do not incentivize me to post there as often as I once did. I will, though, pull content to share here from time to time, because I do think there’s some value in those squares.
And I will still play in that space, because for one, the 2200 character limit (a real challenge for this wordy girl) has made me a better editor, and also, I genuinely love the midlife community on IG; there are some phenomenal women showing up there every day talking health, aging, style, culture, etc, and I appreciate them and the inspiration they provide. But it sure is nice to be in a space like this that allows me to go deeper while continuing to cultivate the absolute best byproducts of writing- connection and community.
So thank you to the new follower who led me back to this post, and with no further ado, here is how tomatoes and wisdom are connected…
“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”
-Miles Kington
Sometimes the writing inspires the photo, but this time the photo inspired the writing…
So I was initially leaning toward a cheeky caption (feeling saucy came to mind), but I decided to see if there were any fitting quotes out there when I stumbled on this little gem.
At first, it made me laugh, but then, it made me think. I talk a lot here about the hard-earned wisdom we acquire along the way to midlife, and about how perspective expands as we live and experience. Yes, we acquire much knowledge as well, but knowing what to do with it; knowing how to use it is another thing. The more we understand ourselves and the world around us, the more we can see and understand context. The better we are able to discern what is real and what is true. And the more effectively we can tune out the noise and focus on the substance. In some (almost ironic) sense, wisdom is having the insight to know what we do not know. Many great philosophers have spoken eloquently about this over time. Socrates believed “the only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
All of this to say that, 1- With age, an open mind and an ever-broadening perspective, wisdom is cultivated and makes us bigger, better and smarter, and, 2- never underestimate the power of a tomato 🍅 to provoke thought, because inspiration is everywhere!
This says it all:
“Knowledge has clear, sharp edges; wisdom has a gentle, yielding border. Knowledge is proud; wisdom is humble. Knowledge has answers; wisdom has questions.” -Kevin Darné
And my fashion postscript and total non sequitur:
Never underestimate the power of some well-placed ruching to give you the waist you never had!
*Postscript to the fashion postscript: Although the ruching on that dress was a lovely, waist-making feature, let’s just say at some point I outgrew it. It has moved on from my closet into another loving home (my sister-in-law’s), as I have been ruthlessly purging over these past couple of years. Letting go of that which does not serve includes physical items, and I think that topic in general might make for an interesting future post. Let me know what you think.
Mood Salad Links
I digest a lot of content as I read, listen and watch through my midlife lens, and I’ll share links with you that I find interesting, funny or otherwise worth a quick click.
An insightful interview with Chip Conely, author of Learning to Love Midlife: 12 reasons life gets better with age.
Just a little something to start your weekend with a smile! It might be a photo I’ve snapped or come across, a funny meme (are those still a thing?), or anything that made me stop and delight in the moment.
This sight was pure joy- I was walking out of my building to make a coffee run and had to capture this special moment- I couldn’t get the smile off of my face. Also, that outfit!
I appreciate that someone led you back to an earlier writing and sparked so many reminders and new creative thoughts. The mood salad links are a great find here. I’m looking forward to reading them and more in this space!
Everyone’s reach is down from years ago. Mine included. I think they are the only app that controls such a thing. Don’t know why. I miss still pictures and I’m trying to do more of them. IG did start as a photo sharing app. It is interesting to look back and see how things change as do most things in life. I’ll have to take a look at other links you’ve mentioned. Thanks!
I appreciate that someone led you back to an earlier writing and sparked so many reminders and new creative thoughts. The mood salad links are a great find here. I’m looking forward to reading them and more in this space!
Everyone’s reach is down from years ago. Mine included. I think they are the only app that controls such a thing. Don’t know why. I miss still pictures and I’m trying to do more of them. IG did start as a photo sharing app. It is interesting to look back and see how things change as do most things in life. I’ll have to take a look at other links you’ve mentioned. Thanks!