Facebook hiatus

I thought about it for a week. Lent was coming up - a time of being thoughtful our priest told us. By writing this blog, I suppose I'm doing what last weekend's gospel reading told us not to - calling attention to myself during this time. But you know me - I'm an open blog. I gotta tell the story. I gave up Facebook for Lent.

It is a difficult thing for me to give up. I've grown accustomed to its face. Facebook has been a part of my life for almost ten years! When Amy went to college she joined Facebook - then open only to people with college email addresses. Somehow I wheedled her password out of her. I loved this new thing - Facebook. Through it I got to know Amy's college friends and learned a few things I probably really didn't want to know. It was nice keeping up with Creston kids too.

Then Facebook opened up the medium to all users to everyone - not just students. I got my own page - and was forced to play with others my own age. I must admit I missed Amy's friends - but thought it might be weird asking them all to be my friends! About that time I started working in Des Moines. FB was a good tool to use to stay connected with friends and family. It also helped me reconnect with some classmates I hadn't talked to for a while.

Through the years, via FB, I have come to know some friends and family better than I ever have before. I have really enjoyed that aspect of the social media - especially the photos! Oh sure - there have been a few mis-steps. I posted those baby pictures of Jud when he was a college freshman and he immediately texted me to say he was un-friending me! I guess I should not have identified (or tagged to use the lingo) him in the photos - but I totally thought they would make him a babe magnet. Of course I'm his mother...

I get frustrated with FB at times - everyone sees the privacy notice warnings. And in the early days the ads weren't as prevalent. I am not a game fan so those I wish I could turn them off permanently. Political stuff - on both sides of the aisle. I don't really wish to see any of it. I'm on FB to see stuff about your family, vacations, weekends. I don't want to see that you hate a candidate, love one or are foaming at the mouth about a topic. I try not to do it - but must admit I'm weak at times.

So here I am whining about my big sacrifice. It's good for me and therapeutic - but know that even though in my heart I know this break from social media (at least FB) is good for me - I sure miss my FB friends. Good thing I still have Twitter!