Tuesday, April 3, 2012

a persuasive temptress...

i am being seduced.  a persuasive temptress luring me to a new promise land.  a magical land, full of vibrant color, serene landscape, ample generosity and an abundance of peacefulness.  i am cautiously following the seduction.  if i knew it wasn't a facade and behind the curtain of glory there wasn't a wasteland of disappointment i would run and never look back.

who is this temptress?

where is this promise land? 

life without facebook is the promise land.  before you balk hear me out.  i am hearing more and more people who have either retired their facebook account or choose not have one to begin with.  it might be my imagination but these same people seem to have a calmer, less dramatic air about them.  could it be because they are void of the drama that you can find yourself getting wrapped up in? 

i am admittedly addicted, or maybe obsessed is a better word, with my facebook account.  i look at first thing in the morning during my love affair with joe.  i check it while i am at work.  i have my phone set to receive messages and alerts.  i check it before i go to bed.  i love seeing what 600 of my closest friends are up to, all of their successes, failures and funnies.  watching their families grow up through pictures, following their blogs because they link them to their homepage, supporting their cause or business.  it is all fascinating to me. 

i don't necessarily comment on pages, status updates or even photos i just like to watch.  i suppose that makes me sound like a creepy stalker or voyeur but whatever.  i am nosey.  humans are intriguing.  i love that i know people who live in other countries, who are comedians, musicians, actors, business owners, homemakers, and everything else in between. 

with all of this easy access to other people's lives comes drama.  people hooking up and breaking up, marriages falling apart, health issues, weddings, or new members of families.  it is really easy to want to follow the story unfold.  facebook is like having a virtual smut magazine of people you know.  as you know i live a very open and public life.  i know this isn't for everyone, but it works for me. 

so what would happen if i took a break?  if i just stopped following the lives of 600 and just engaged with actual humans?  humans that i can feel, touch, see, and smell instead of virtual humans?  would i spend more time nourishing those relationships?  would i feel less important by shrinking my interaction to say 20?  would my life seem less chaotic? 


i know i won't be getting a rash of emails, texts or phone calls begging me to keep my facebook account.  i am just not that cool.  but would i be missed?  does it matter that my virtual friends miss me?  in theory i would be spending more real time with my friends and getting all the support, love and friendship i need, so i shouldn't care about being missed.

i am not sure if i will ditch my account.  if i do it won't be anytime soon, but the temptress is there.  she has hooked me in her powerful clutch slowly pulling me towards her. 

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