Halfway down a mountain trail — sweaty, tired, and proud — I caught myself checking my phone to see if anyone had liked the photo I just posted. Ten people had.
It’s easy, in an age of influencers and celebrities drawing millions of views and likes, to look at my own little corner of social media as less than. Ten likes? That’s all? But then I remembered: this photo wasn’t about looking polished or camera-ready. It wasn’t even at the top of the hike. It was a simple, real moment — messy hair, red cheeks, lungs burning — where I surprised myself by how far I’d come. And that was worth celebrating.
Still, I had to laugh at myself. What good was it to be surrounded by mountain air and beauty, only to look down at a glowing screen? On the very trail I had taken to disconnect, I was reconnecting — to notifications, to metrics, to other people’s approval. My first lesson was clear: sometimes the good I can bring into the world is simply putting the phone back in your pocket and noticing the breeze before you trip over a rock.
My second reminder was deeper: I didn’t do this hike for attention. If that had been the goal, I would’ve staged photos, waited for golden light, maybe even worn something more “Instagram-ready.” But that wasn’t the point. I went outside to breathe, to clear my head, to root myself back into something bigger than my to-do list. And I had.
The third lesson surprised me most. Those ten likes weren’t numbers — they were ten real people I know, each with a story, each with a life. As I walked down the mountain, I pulled up the list of names and lingered with each one. I thought about my memories with them, and in a quiet way, I sent them wishes for joy, safety, and peace. Side note: I highly recommend Metta Meditation if you’ve never tried it. Ten small heart emojis of connection, deepened into something richer.
And strangely, I found myself grateful not to have thousands of likes. With that much noise, I would have skimmed right past each name. But in this quieter corner of the internet, I was given the gift of intimacy — the chance to carry those ten people with me through the pines and sunlight.
So today, instead of chasing after the next notification, I’m holding onto this: social media doesn’t have to be about scale. It can be about soul. It can be about remembering the people behind the hearts and thumbs-up.
That was my small, good on the mountain: pausing to notice, to appreciate, to connect. Next time you catch yourself scrolling, pick just one name and hold them in gratitude. You might find it makes the whole climb of life feel different.
Brown Bag Adventures 