About a week ago I decided to cut down my Facebook friend list. I've done this before, but, let's face it, I was all pansy about it and cut maybe 5 or 6 people. This time I cut it from 505 to 218, and of that 218, 69 are family. I went through the list and I'm telling you, there were people on there I'm not even sure I knew.
note: some of the people I still don't actually know, but they know scott through the army, and he recently deleted his fb page, so I kept those people in case they need/want to get in touch with him.
another note: scott deleted his fb page because once he returned from iraq several people he met over there friended him and periodically sent him messages saying hello, how are you, where are you now, etc., and since having the job he has necessitates a top secret security clearance from the united states government it's probably best if he doesn't have a bunch of contact with iraqi nationalists. these people are perfectly pleasant but so is a paycheck. also, scott hates facebook because people try to talk to him. oh the horror.
Lots of people on the list went to Coosa, and I decided I don't need to be friends on FB with someone JUST BECAUSE we went to the same high school. This is weird to me. There needs to be more criteria than that. Just because your name might sound familiar to me doesn't mean I care if you get a new job, get fired, have a baby, get a divorce, etc. And I can't imagine you care about the things I post. Unless you are just nosy.
I also unfriended people who I knew, but who I really don't want to have any type of interaction with, because, you know, I can't stand them.
Example #1: When I was pregnant with Owen Scott deployed to Afghanistan for a year. I moved home to Rome with Ashlyn and Haley. I delivered Owen 13 days after Scott landed in the Middle East. One day a girl came up to me and said "He's so adorable, I'm just really so, so sorry he'll never get to meet his father." And I asked her, "What are you talking about?" And she answered "Well, it's just so sad that his dad will die in the war and never get to meet him, and then you'll have these three kids and be a widow. And all for a war that's only about George Bush wanting to control all the world's oil."
Yes, this person was sitting on my friend list. Thank God for people like her, otherwise I might get over my anxiety issues.
Example #2: There was a girl on my list who, every single time I hear from her, asks me how much I weigh. Because GOD FORBID I were to weigh less than she does. In a way I feel sad for her, because she's obviously unhappy and trying to feel good about herself. It's important to her that she win at this, and I totally understand that, so I routinely add pounds onto my weight when I tell her (if she's telling me the truth about her weight I probably weigh a pound or two less than she does). The crazy thing is that it's a number, and it doesn't even represent a proper comparison between the two of us because 1. I'm taller than she is, and 2. we have different builds.
I really have no reason for deleting her besides the fact that I don't have a group to put her in. All I have are acquaintances, family, close friends, Coosa High School, Shorter College, and Pyeongtaek Area. I don't have a group titled Competition.
I refuse to compete with people. Especially about something like that. There was a time when I would have, but then I graduated from high school. Grow up.
There are other people still on the list that don't need to be there.
Since deleting all these people 6 days ago I have received 9 friend requests. All 9 of them are people I deleted. Six of them are people I'm relatively sure I've never spoken to in my entire life, including FB. One of them I'm not sure I even know. One of them is someone I've never seen post anything on FB at all. One of them is the girl from Example #2.
No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. NO.
And yes, I realize I could have remained friends with all 287 and simply blocked them. If I was a PANSY.
It's the end of 2011. I'm tired of a lot of things and I've had an epiphany. I will be a much different person in 2012.
6 comments:
Good for you!! If I didn't use FB as a tool for advertising I would delete a shit ton of people. I just hate the idea of possibly missing out on their money.
Agreed! Makes me want to start deleting friends from my page too. Hmmm, I think I will. Glad I made the cut!
I love it. My numbers are up these days, mostly with people I met in the last six months in Korea that don't yet realize that I'll cut them once enough time has lapsed and I don't think they're paying too much attention to my daily life anymore. 100 is my goal. You know I Aim High!
Gosh, I miss you.
Gosh, I miss you.
Well said Jen, well said!!!!!
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