In the last few weeks, I've had the following conversation on numerous occasions:Anonymous friend: So I was on Facebook the other day and I looked up an ex/friend from high school/university/the old neighbourhood.
Ad: Oooo. Never a good idea.
Anon: Turns out they're married/have kids/own real estate/went to Harvard/teach the blind/run a small island country -- and I can't even remember to water my plants once a week.
And then we run over the usual reassurances about being on your path for better or worse, not assuming that they have a better life than you, recalling that they too have their hardships to face, etc.
But that's the trouble with Facebook, isn't it? The people who are going through a difficult time won't post their darker side on FB. Facebook is a happy-fun place where all babies are beautiful, every weekend is a photo opportunity and puppies grow like potted plants.
Maybe I'll start posting sad-type status lines like "Adriana Palanca is a little constipated today" or "Adriana Palanca is going to die a bitter, twisted-up spinster". To make people feel better, you know?
But that's the trouble with Facebook, isn't it? The people who are going through a difficult time won't post their darker side on FB. Facebook is a happy-fun place where all babies are beautiful, every weekend is a photo opportunity and puppies grow like potted plants.
Maybe I'll start posting sad-type status lines like "Adriana Palanca is a little constipated today" or "Adriana Palanca is going to die a bitter, twisted-up spinster". To make people feel better, you know?
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6 comments:
what a great post - you're so right. (I say this even though I've recently gotten stupidly involved with facebook - but so many local tango dancers are on it, what could I do?) i wonder how many people would "un-friend" me if I started posting about the various states of my bodily functions (rather than the latest pair of tango shoes I want lol)
I think you should take down the small island country line and sell it to the highest bidder, it's so funny.
Anne C.
Maybe it's just my Polly-Anna outlook but I've occasionally posted "I need some cheering up" messages on FB and been buoyed by people's responses. "Sarah is having a terrible day" was met with genuine-seeming sympathy, a few months ago.
Of course, if I were to constantly post my negative thoughts ("Sarah wishes her period cramps would ease up", "Sarah hates her job more than usual today", "Sarah thinks bus drivers are as*h*les", I wonder if those friends would be less inclined to rush at me with sympathy.
Maybe we should have a day -- Black Cloud Day -- where everyone updates their FB profiles with the darker side of their outlook on life...
Any other suggestions for Black Cloud Day?
wow, my friends don't even pretend that everything is happy-go-lucky. Yesterday I woke up to an acquaintance's status line that read: XXXXX's husband punched her in the face last night.
uhhh.....
Mtnhighmama: How does one even respond to that?
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