So, it's 24 hours later and you'd think the dark cloud over my head would've burnt off by now, right? Or not.
I have suddenly become very cynical towards the whole Facebook culture. I mean, who are we kidding? If you haven't seen or spoken to someone in 15 or 20 years, then they ... most probably ... can not be considered your friend. I think it's comforting, at least for people my age, to look at that list and think, "Oh, look at all these people I'm still in touch with!" But let's be realistic ... these people are not, in any "real world" sense ... friends.
And you know, here is the root of the problem ... I am not the same person I was in grade school or high school. People grow and mature (hopefully) and develop new interests. But for some inane reason, I have dozens of friends from grade school. People whom I can barely remember. I have absolutely nothing in common with these people ... other than we both shared the same Catholic school experience.
I found myself shocked the other day while perusing my friend list. There's the sweet, easy-going kid who asked me to prom ... who is now an agressive, frothing-at-the-mouth Rush Limbaugh clone. Hmmmm, I didn't see that coming. There's the friend who was the painfully shy, deep, "poetic" type guy in high school ... who has a profile picture of him holding the head up of a deer who is bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound to the head. Okay, now that came out of left field. Then there's the girl who was the purest, strictest Mormon you'd ever meet ... who apparently graduated and went on to a profitable career as a stripper. Okay now that one ... just left me speechless.
But why am I judging them? I was the outgoing theatre girl who was the lead in the plays and who just knew I'd grow up to do something in the art field ... and now I'm the quiet computer geek. We all change.
And I am coming to find ... that I don't give a shit about these people. I am tired of putting myself out there and constantly giving optimistic, positive feedback to people who are nothing but karmic black holes. I do not expect you to mirror my beliefs or attitudes or lifestyle ... far, far from it. But I am no longer going to allow myself to be hurt by people about whom I don't give a rat's ass. Why should someone affect my mood when they in no way affect my life? These people are so far outside the reach of my daily personal interactions that I might as well start making Facebook friends with strangers in New Delhi.
So, it's undecided. Will I delete my account? I don't know. For the moment, while I may or may not completely swear off Facebook ... I think it's time for a cull. I need to thin the friends list herd.
Who are you? Who, who, who, who?
I really wanna know
Who are you? Who, who, who, who?
Tell me, who are you?
Who are you? Who, who, who, who?
'Cause I really wanna know
Who are you? Who, who, who, who?
The Who - Who Are You?
