"In Yo Face!"(book)

I stole that from a friend, but I like it, so there it is.

So, it's looking like my days on Facebook are numbered. I've enjoyed catching up with some folks who I haven't spoken to in years, and it's been nice to have easy access to other friends on a daily basis, but as of late, Facebook has become more of a problem in my life than a solution, and something's gotta give.

First was the incident several months back when my cousin DELETED me cause of something that another family member had posted on her page. Yes, that's right, I hadn't posted it, someone else had. Yet I got deleted. Um...what? Turns out she was confused about an email I had sent her and she incorrectly remembered that private email as a public comment posted for the world to see. And even though we ironed those details out, she never re-added me. We are no longer friends in real life.

Then there are the countless status updates of friends thanking other friends for the "good time" they had at so and so's party, or whatever, or pictures from a night out . Those are well and good...unless you weren't invited. In that case: OUCH!

And let's not forget Tall Dark Handsome Stranger. Would things have played out differently if I had just called the dude? Yeah, in one way or another they most certainly would have. Doesn't mean it would have resulted in a date, but now we will never know because I was too much of a chicken to call him like a normal person. And now I've deleted him. Cause I'm just as much of a jerk as the next person apparently.

How many of us have fallen victim to the "Green Light Stalk"? You know what I'm talking about...you email someone and they haven't responded yet, but you know they are online RIGHT NOW cause you can see that little green light next to their face in the chat window, so you stare at it willing them to Instant Message you and NOTHING HAPPENS! Then they SIGN OFF! It's infuriating!

Or worse yet, you aren't the stalker, but the stalkee and someone lashes out at you because you haven't IM'd them back, but that's only because YOU AREN'T EVEN SITTING AT YOUR COMPUTER! You are most likely going pee, making breakfast, or on a phone call, etc. but that's just not allowed! You MUST respond RIGHT NOW! Or else you are really gonna get it.

I for one don't like to be ignored. I understand. But our sense of entitlement to another persons comings and goings has gotten completely out of control. We are available by phone, text, chat, and twitter these days and quite frankly, I've never had worse bouts of miscommunication. Tone is completely lost because we are trying to communicate in as few words as possible and then fights ensue. It's ridiculous people!

I am guilty of every Facebook sin there is. Green light stalking, having my feelings hurt because I wasn't included in some fun thing, deleting people out of anger, being so vain that I think your status is about me (Thank you Carly Simon). It's got to stop. Not to mention the hours I spend doing NOTHING on there! I can't even tell you how I do it, cause I'm literally doing NOTHING! It's like being sucked into a JJ Abrams plot where time ceases to exist on a continuum.

So, two days ago an ex-boyfriend friend requested me. It was late. I had just gotten off work. I didn't put too much thought into it and I accepted his friend request. Well, when I woke up the next morning there was comment on my page from him thanking me and telling me he liked my blue dress. Harmelss right? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! We aren't friends in real life anymore for a reason! I don't like you! I don't want to look at your picture on my page when I sign on every day! I don't want to hear what you have to say! I most certainly don't hate this person. But...just the thought of him peering into my life on a regular basis (hello creepy!), having an opinion about the things I do and say (nobody asked you)...I don't want that anymore. If I did, we'd hang out. So, I deleted him. And of course I was the proud owner of a nasty email the next morning as a result. AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

I really don't know what to do. I like being able to keep in touch with my sister-in-law. I like that people have access to my blog. And I like knowing where my loved ones are and what they are doing...especially those who are far away. BUT, my feelings have been hurt more times that I'd like to admit. I feel stupid even saying that out loud. What am I, twelve!? And being deleted by a family member when they have about 400 strangers on their page goes beyond insulting. It's a level of "Wow, really?" that can't be measured.

I don't know how much longer I'm going to last. I might just keep a few tried and trues, but even so...I still see things that irritate me on the most beloved of my peeps pages. I'm not sure I need all of this bullshiz in my life taking up space in my brain when I should, would, could be thinking about other things.

I might just need everyone to get out of my face(book).