Why giving up Facebook for Lent was a stupid idea...

A few years ago, I decided that I was spending too much time on Facebook.  I made this decision right around February... Kismet! so thought I.

I gave up Facebook for Lent and found I had more time to spend with my kids and on my home.   Also, remarkably, I stopped feeling horrible about myself if I wasn't currently on a beach, hiking a mountain, working out, doing an impossibly creative craft or fixing my family the most nutritious kale infused dinner ever.   See, at that time, I was still fairly new to Facebook and often fell into the 'reality tv' trap of comparing my real life to people's 'Facebook lives.'   (There is a blog being shared talking about 'fakebooking' the practice of making life seem perfect for our FB friends.)

In short, it was a really good thing for me to give up at the time.

However, since then, I've realized that along with a whole lot of crap... there really is a lot of good.  No way I would know just how much I adore some of my cousins without Facebook.  No way I would know about half the pregnancies, babies, job changes, accomplishments, passings, etc.

I've never been great at keeping in touch with people (understatement of the year) and as much as I mocked texting and FB at their inceptions, I am exactly the kind of person that can benefit from these technologies.  Its not like I replaced calling with texting... or replaced sending cards in the mail with sending a FB happy birthday message... I replaced doing absolutely nothing and feeling sick guilty with doing something and feeling only slightly guilty.

You see, when you send me an email address change, I don't change it in my contact list... I just keep the message in my inbox (where there are currently 1987 messages.)  When you send me a change of address, I throw it in some drawer somewhere and just hope that you send me a Christmas card with a return address before I need to send mine to you.  I have no list of birthdays anywhere and other than my family's (which is built into the annual calendar our family has,) one friend whose birthday I memorized in Kindergarten, and two friends who have birthdays that bookend mine... I have no clue when anyone's special day is.   These are not things I'm proud of... but they are true.

So Facebook, as long as I could avoid the baiting and my own personal jealousies, is actually making me live a better fuller life more connected with people that I love.  Why would that be something to give up during Lent?  Its not. That's dumb.

Is this a huge rant trying to excuse myself from my Lenten promise this year?  Yes, it is.  However, though I will be on Facebook... I will keep the spirit of my promise.  I won't let it take away time I would otherwise spend with my kids or hubby (strangely I have no problem with it taking away from housework... God told Martha to stop freaking cleaning didn't He?)  And I won't let it distract me from the beauty of the real life around me.

And, if that's not enough for you, I've stayed true to giving up pop (soda for my friends 'round here,) TV with the family and now I'll throw in chocolate for good measure.

And I'll go to reconciliation.  Which I'll need to do anyway after I unveil my long-awaited magnum opus on gay marriage and marriage equality tonight.

That's all.  I mean really... how well are you doing on your Lenten promises???

thanks for reading,

-m