The Work of Being Seen

I turned 50 last week and had to force myself to socialize. I didn’t want to be around anyone. I’m glad I did — and still, afterward, all I wanted was time alone.

I’m not going to unravel some grand list of life lessons. Those are personal.

What I needed was quiet. Space. A break from the constant loudness of social media.

And yet, here I am, having to step back into the role of visibility — of putting work out into the world, of quietly asking to be seen. Even when most of the time, that’s not what I want at all.

Maybe that tension — between wanting quiet and needing to show up — is part of the work too.