Like many I am an addict, a Facebook addict.
In the beginning, I was completely indifferent to this social media site. I didn’t understand what the attraction was. Lurking at photos from intimate celebrations of people that I hadn’t seen since sharing a pail and shovel in the sandbox. I just couldn’t comprehend why so many people were giving detailed accounts of their everyday, not to mention completely normal and average, lives.
Finally, the bug hit me. Needless to say, I began spending more and more time on the site. Checking to see if anyone had posted on my wall or messaged me, scrolling through the news feed to see what all of my Facebook friends had been up to for the past few hours, looking at photos from baby showers and wild Saturday nights, it didn’t take long to realize that I was wasting much of my time.
When 2012 began, I made a vow to myself to become more productive. It wasn’t until one Monday morning that it donned on me just how much of a drone I had become. I was reading status updates to see what people had been up to over the weekend, you know the usual pre-work Monday morning routine.
On this particular morning, it wasn’t just my pre- coffee crank-fest that was plaguing me. I read post after post written by adults, adults with children at that, many of whom were too lazy to muster up the energy to type in complete sentences or use proper grammar and spelling. I had enough of the “Im soooooo bord”s and “Luv my gurls alot”s. Not to mention, all of the passive aggressive statements, foul language and “tormented” comments from people just begging for attention.
I signed out. I signed out for one week and, yes, the first couple of days were rough. I deleted the Facebook App from my phone. I removed the bookmark from my computer. It didn’t take me long to start finding other things to occupy my time. For example, for ages I wanted to begin painting. I even had a fantastic unopened paint set and a book called “Painting for the Complete and Utter Beginner”.
I got over the apprehension of making that first stroke on the canvas and, you know what, it wasn’t intimidating at all. It was actually quite satisfying. Obviously, I have yet to create a masterpiece but, one day, I will create a work of art that I will hang with pride in my living room and tell guests triumphantly that I did it!
Not only did I paint once, I painted twice and for a few hours each time. Not only did I paint, I started writing, as well. This had been in the making for quite sometime. I was about to attend my first writers’ workshop but I wrote in addition to the piece that I would present to my group, just for fun. I even was able to knock off a few chapters of a book I was reading. I was on fire!
On Monday, I logged on to see what was happening. Nothing. Nothing any different than the last time I was on. I was tempted to delete my Facebook page just to prove how extremely disinterested I had become. I had defeated it! I didn’t delete my page. My primary source of keeping in touch with many people from across the country and even world is Facebook. It isn’t all bad. The difference is, when I speak with said friends and relatives, I will be able to tell them about my reading, writing, and painting. Who knows what kind of hobbies I will pick up or how much more skilled I will become in my new found hobbies?
A wedding photo set to the back drop of 2nd Avenue in downtown Fernie. Blame it on my current state of “wedding fever” (don’t tell my boyfriend!) or my undying love and affection for The Beatles, either way, I took a shine to this photo. The fact that it was right in our own backyard was the icing on the cake. 
