Giving Up Facebook for Lent

Ash Wednesday is next week, and I have decided to take this opportunity to take a sabbatical from Facebook. While it has been wonderful reconnecting with long lost friends, it has been consuming. Not only do I spend a lot of my free time Facebooking ("Mommy, are you on Facebook again?), I have also learned to hide behind it. Rather than getting together or calling many friends, I have opted to Facebook with them instead. I often feel more comfortable "speaking" to friends electronically, rather than have an actual conversation with them. Is that weird?

Facebooking has also elbowed its way into my blogging time. I had started blogging as a way of journaling (which I had done since I was a child, a la "Dear Diary," style), but it has evolved into a way for me to stay connected with friends. I started to share my blog site with more and more friends, and they in turn would write or call to share their own stories. However, not everyone would call or write back, so I decided to join Facebook, as so many of my friends were connected through the web-based, open-house party. But since joining Facebook, I have blogged less and less, and accordingly, my creativity has diminished to one line phrases, such as, "Map is in love with her box of tissues, " or "Map is disappointed that she did not get carded at the liquor store." So this week, I deactivated my account. Not forever. Just until Easter. And while I look forward to returning to Facebook, my sincere hope is that I return to some meaningful blogging, as well as reaching out to friends by non-internet means.