It reminds me a little of when I quit smoking (minus the intense cravings). Life feels a little ... emptier. There's a phantom limb feeling, a wondering what I'm going to do with my hands without a cigarette in them, when I get those creative little thoughts in my head throughout the day, the "That would be a cool status update" thoughts.
The emptier feeling is exactly why I have disabled my account. Trying to fight the sensory overload. For me, working on a computer that needs to be online, flicking over onto Facebook is akin to taking 137 tea breaks throughout the day, breaking down my boring worklife into 38,592 segments that leave me feeling disjointed and out of my own body and wasting time like you wouldn't believe.
The "wondering what I'm going to do with my hands" smoking analogy is a good one. It may sound strange that since closing my account I feel emptier. I notice the difference in feeling a little lonely at times throughout the day as I work here alone. It feels like extra space has appeared in-between the molecules now that I'm not seeing status updates for a whole lot of people I will never meet or will never meet again. (That however doesn't include all of my Facebook friends. There are a couple who I really am going to miss seeing their thoughts each day, like Erin, and Barbara, and Kent).
The extra space has already brought me back here to my blog. How weird it is. And I know it's going to take me back to my ratty old notebook again. A place to write down all those pithy little sayings that would make good status updates, channel them maybe one day into something else a little larger than a soundbyte.
But geez, I'm gonna miss it.
'Tis a far more fulfilling and meaningful space here, I think. FB is, or all too often is like tabloid journalism.
ReplyDeleteIt is, absolutely. But I will miss it anyway. I will miss you on there :)
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, actually. I was just thinking how it may sound a bit hypocritical or weird to want to get off Facebook and come back to blogging because it feels more real here, even though that is still for the vast part with people I don't know or have met ... or at least people I don't see every day (except for you).
But it feels different here somehow. It feels more real.
ooh - yummy new look for autumn Susie Q
ReplyDeletemaybe we could start an "I gave facebook the flick" support group to help us get through the withdrawal symptoms and recalibrate our souls to the slow movement
why not, slow has become a complete lifestyle
slow food, slow magazines,
so why not slow internet
taking the time to compose a post, choose images, or quotes to support our thoughts
and then taking the time to visit other people's blogs, read and comment there
that feels more like quality connection to me
yay you for making the choice to quit :-)
I will miss you too, but I understand your reasoning. I try to be careful with FB, but it sucks me in...but mostly because of the people I care about, many I know from the blogging world, who don't blog anymore. We connect on FB instead. But then, I find myself sometimes hating the soundbites, the snippets of people's lives...it's so sterile. Blogging is much more personal. And there is plenty that annoys me about FB...the politics, the passive aggression, the complainers, the endless game-players and video-posters.
ReplyDeleteBut see, you and I, we email...so it's all good. :)
I think taking a break is healthy...maybe you will go back one day and maybe not...but what you will gain from the time and the emotional space in the interim is valuable.
Kel - Have you read In Praise of Slow by Carl Honore? A good read about different aspects of slow. Thanks for the comment about slow magazines - I haven't heard of Slow Magazine before and am tempted to step outside today and rush off and get a copy. Awesomeness!
ReplyDeleteWe should start off an "I Gave Facebook the Flick" group - and put it on Facebook.
Erin - yes, it's funny how many people have switched from blogging to Facebook. Some people who are more agile than me can handle both! :) I must say, coming back here, spending more time on this blog this week than in the previous month, I wonder why I stopped doing this in the first place.
Yes, I am very glad you and I, we email :)
Thanks for "...Trying to fight the sensory overload. For me, working on a computer that needs to be online, flicking over onto Facebook is akin to taking 137 tea breaks throughout the day, breaking down my boring worklife into 38,592 segments that leave me feeling disjointed and out of my own body and wasting time like you wouldn't believe." I need that.
ReplyDeleteI miss smoking too.
Hey there Melody. Yes, it reels you in, doesn't it? I must say, I really am surprised at how much more space there is just from stopping that one thing (that obviously brings out the addictive part of my personality).
ReplyDeleteYou miss smoking? You know what I miss about it? I miss the regimented sitting down and taking a break every 20 minutes and doing some deep breathing. That's what I miss about smoking - because I really feel the need to do deep breathing throughout the day but I don't in quite the same way that felt good when I smoked, even though to do that I had to draw crap into my lungs to get the benefits. How WEIRD smoking is! :)
Ah, I looked for you this morning and was sad to see you missing, but I get it.
ReplyDeleteYou are free.
I think of turning that outlet off, often.
Enjoy that lovely, extra space. :)
Jennifer
Thanks, dear Jennifer. I shall miss you though.
ReplyDelete