I Have Rejected Facebook

Through the urging of my son Tim and daughter Tracey I decided to give facebook a try. It was fun; there was give and take and an easy entrance into the thoughts and sometimes the lives of other people. I became "friends" with casual acquaintences and often with relative strangers.

I'm not into games, and each time I sent a flower or a valentine or something I felt like I was opening my private world to whomever would happen to stop by. In fairness there are blocks but I used very few of them. I wan't posting anything I shouldn't so why should I? AND Facebook is much more instant conversation than email, maybe that's why it is called facebook. So where too much was asked I backed off.

But you know, basically I'm a private person and I keep my self revelations on a plane that is comfortable for me. If you and I are going to have an in depth conversation it won't be through facebook and not even email. My revelations may have been news to some but to me they were quite safe.

Then, as my world of "friends" expanded, I quickly was taken out of my confort zone. Just for backgrouind, I served in the Military, I know and have used most of the language that is possible. I have been to the hot spots and, well this is not confession time, but I guess I want to say is that I have lived outside of the Church. The other thing to note is that I truly represent my era. Much as I think I am modern in my thought process I have a filter that everything passes through.

So after awhile on facebook and after the expanding of my circle of friends, I entered into the lives of folks who live outside my inhibitions. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, I have seen posted pictures whose message is offensive to me. I have also read notes written by educated people using language that as a military person I would never use outside of the barracks. I guess in my naivite I expected folks to have some self respect and most do. But I have seen enough and read enough to tell me this is territory that will not do me any good.

Tim, the one who got me on facebook, has a saying, "TMI" it means too much information. Facebook has too much information for me - rather than destroy my respect or love for folks who may reqret their actions later, I choose to retrench and fight the battle of email. That is my choice for me, not for anyone else. I guess it it my "don't ask don't tell policy."