Last Friday marked the halfway point between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday; we are just over halfway through the Lenten season. Lent has been pretty weird for me this year, but also good and healthy. Like eating your vegetables, knowing that dessert will be sweet. And yet, bittersweet too... but let's save that for another post.
I gave up Facebook for Lent. I know, in light of what most people in the world live without every day, giving up an online social networking tool might seem pretty lame. And to be honest, if you look at it that way, it is. But let's consider a few facts about Haley and Facebook:
1. Facebook connects people. Haley loves connecting with people.
2. Facebook allow for endless amounts of self-expression. Haley is addicted to self-expression (see also: this blog)
3. Facebook is a breeding ground for affirmation junkies. Haley is a (recovering) hard-core affirmation junkie.
4. Facebook sends you emails every time anything even mildly interesting happens. Haley loves email. (Yes, even boring Facebook email.)
So, as you can see, I had quite the love affair going with this online social networking tool. I did NOT want to give it up. But as good ol' Bill Shakespeare would say: ay, there's the rub!
Here's what I've learned at the halfway point.
1. I am still connected to people without Facebook. Rediscovering the lost art of the phone call.
2. People will survive just fine if they don't know the play-by-play of my day. They will get by A-OK without my fabulously witty (at least in my own supremely humble opinion) comments on their statuses, postings, and 'old school' pictures.
3. My life still has every bit as much meaning even if 500 of my peers aren't affirming my every move through comments and 'like this' thumbs up graphics. (What is up with that anyway? Bizarre, if you ask me.)
4. Not having a million emails flooding my inbox means less time at the computer, and more time on the floor playing with my kids or on the couch chatting with my husband. It even inspired me to finally unsubscribe to the 2 dozen e-newsletter (read: advertisement) lists that I have somehow ended up on over the years.
Good stuff. Now I'm going to go eat some vegetables and pray about how to break yet another addiction in my life: my love affair with ellipses and parentheses (they're just so darn useful...).
6 comments:
I miss you on Facebook so I'm glad you have this blog since I rarely get to see anybody in real life.
But hey, there's nothing wrong with ellipses . . .
people don't HAVE to know what you are doing every second of the day but without you online my mini-feed is less bombarded with the frequent updates.... it gets boring without them.... your status updates were very entertaining!!
I am sure you are hoping for something a little deeper here, so I apologize but that is an AWESOME picture. Where do you find your artwork/graphics for each of your posts; they always tell a story by themselves. i love it!!
@Deb... true...the ellipses is useful...
@tiff -- thanks, its nice to be missed! :)
@kari -- glad you liked that picture, i was pretty stoked when i found it! i found that one by searching images.google.com which is a resource i use a lot. i also have some art websites i like, and a few CD-ROM art resources.
I should fallow your example and get off the computer a little more often. Life does go on without facebook! I left you a message on facebook on your birthday, but a guess you didn't get it. I hope you had a wonderful day! We have one last year in the twenties, can you believe it?!
And think how much fun it will be to check it after all this time!
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