My Blissful Break from Facebook

Exactly 24 days ago, I decided to go on a Facebook fast. I didn't do it for religious reasons, although many types of religious fasts last for 21 days. I simply needed a break. I gave myself 21 days of Facebook abstinence & deactivated my account. My fast is now over & I have given consideration to reactivating my account. But here's the thing: I just don't want to. It has been a very blissful break & I'm not ready for it to end. Here's why:

The Icky Topic of Suicide

Oh sure, you clicked on this post because the topic of suicide is on everybody's Top 10 List of favorite subjects to read about, right? Well, it's not the most pleasant of topics, but an important one nonetheless.

Maybe you're reading this because you know someone who you think may be struggling with suicidal thoughts. Perhaps you've been affected by the death of someone close to you, who took their own life. Maybe you're considering suicide yourself. Or maybe you're just curious about something that seems to have such a grip on people, & you wonder why.

Venting, & Other Healthy Habits

It's been awhile since I've written anything here. I haven't felt like writing. Writing for me, is cathartic. It soothes the soul. It ignites something in me that I am passionate about. It gets me motivated to encourage someone else in some way or another. But I've been dead. Too much stress. Too much on my plate & feeling overwhelmed.

Where to Draw the Line

How can you tell if something that someone says or does is the last straw, or if it's just something very unpleasant, but tolerable? How do you know when to say "enough is enough!" & draw that line in the sand that says you will not tolerate something any longer? That is a topic that I have thought about a lot in the last ten years of my life, & something I sometimes have a hard time identifying, when certain situations come along.

Boundaries

Growing up as a shy girl, I was too afraid to stand up for myself because I lacked the courage, for one thing, & for another, I didn't want to hurt someones feelings. As I got older, I began to realize that while I'm worrying about not wanting to hurt someones feelings, I'm forgetting that the person I need to stand up to, is not worrying about hurting mine. So begins my epiphany.....

Why Do I Talk Too Much??

You know, I talk too much. I know, shocking isn't it? Hard to believe, I'm sure! It's true though. I've been trying to figure out why I do that, especially because it can be very off-putting to a lot of people. People see my name on their caller ID & they decide whether or not they have the time to take my call. My own son doesn't even read my Facebook messages to him if they're really long, & will only skim over the highlights. I can't blame him. Who wants to go on Facebook to have a little fun, post a few funnies or thought-provoking items, catch up with how people are doing, & then be stuck reading a single message for ten minutes? Not me! Heck, if I don't have the time or inclination to read something for several minutes, I won't even open the message. That's because Facebook tells the author of the message when the recipient has viewed it, & I don't want someone to think I read their message but didn't care enough to reply, when perhaps I just didn't have the time to reply right away.

On Being Shy

About age 9-10 Elementary School
Yarn - wasn't just for knitting!

I grew up painfully shy - so shy in fact, that I embarrassed my parents each time they introduced me to someone & I would turn my back to that person. When I was in Girl Scouts as a child, I had no friends to hang out with, because I was just too embarrassed to talk to anyone. I remember how at Girl Scout Camp, a scout leader asked me my name. I told her my name was Carol, which was my actual name (instead of Cari, that I go by now), but I said it so softly, that she thought I said Karen. I was Karen for the duration of my time at camp, & I lacked the courage to speak up & tell people otherwise. It's a terrible thing to be shy. You feel trapped in a prison of your own making, yet despite the fact that you have the power to unlock the door, you don't know how to do so.