Wednesday, March 19, 2014

I Got Your Status Update Right Here

In Matthew 6, Jesus Himself says the following: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." I mention this because I'm about to talk about what I am giving up for Lent. I always do this, but it's just this year that I realized that discussing it with you guys may drain my sacrifice of its meaning... even though it is more of a confession than a boast!

Anyway... for Lent this year I am attempting to give up Facebook and I'M DYING HERE!!!! It is by far the hardest Lenten challenge I've ever undertaken… (Last year's doesn't count because it wasn't merely difficult – it was impossible!)

Anyway, I'm sure I'll get over it soon, but i just so completely miss the whole thing… I feel completely out of the loop – I have no idea what's going on with Jason and Sally's house search; I haven't seen one of Holden's beautiful black and white photographs of the Orange County landscape since Mardi Gras; and I have no clue how Joy is doing with her new BF. And that's just a snapshot of the folks I can't check on. In short, I MISS MY PEOPLE!! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!

As much as I hate the absence of my friends and the lack of vital information pouring into my brain, I might hate more not reaching out to them and dispensing my own useless and pointless knowledge. I'm not kidding! I went to a show and didn't check in or post a SINGLE blurry photo. I've been to restaurants without uploading a photo of my beer. I've seen all manner of weather – rain, snow, sleet, sunny sun – and not made a single comment. No shower songs of the day, or daily a lo divino... or profile pics of handsome dudes. I hate it.

As a child and adolescent I was always painfully shy, but have since developed quite a talkative streak. Facebook is tailor made for an extrovert who is stuck at home alone. Or an introvert who likes having time to think of what to say. Both of which I am. I both don't give a rip what you think, and at the same time, I'd really, really want you to like me!

And on Facebook, you can say something and people "Like" it IMMEDIATELY. Needless to say, I love the constant flow of affirmation. And while I'm more of a silent eye roller, plenty of people make it clear pretty quickly when the DIS-like something. Which is not my favorite aspect, but I'm willing to take the bad with the good.

Anyway… I love my friends on Facebook and I miss them – and it – with a lot of my being. Maybe not every ounce, but a lot. And that's how my Lent is going.



*photos I might have posted IF I were on Facebook: top to bottom: customary stage photo at Shovels and Rope show at the Cat's Cradle, men in kilts! (pipers at downtown Raleigh St. Patrick's Day Parade,) school project by Bill – a model traditional Native American house made with completely natural materials (ie. NO GLUE,) Bill and his besties at a birthday party, Aziz Ansari – too far away to discern, obligatory beer shot at The Pig. 

3 comments:

  1. Well, I'm confessing that I sure do get this. All of it. And I love that you don't give a rip what anyone thinks and at the same time really, really want them to like you. I've got that splashed all over me too.

    I've often talked about giving up Facebook and I might actually one day do it. In fact, connecting with you here feels so much better than simply "liking" or skipping the liking on a post. Hmmm. Good to know, right?

    Here's to you finding the gifts in all that you are experiencing with your Lenten exploration. They are surely there.

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