It’s been exactly 55 days and there is no denying it – I am hooked! What I thought was going to be a fun and simple way to keep in touch with long-distance friends or maybe even act as an update version of “classmates.com” has instead become a daily (sometime hourly) obsession to see what is going on in the world (a.k.a. my world and everyone I choose to be in it) as I am inundated with status updates and wall postings, along with groups to joins, photos to tag, pages to become fans of, quizzes to take and drinks to pass out. And yes, I get all of this on Facebook while sitting in my cushy office chair (multi-tasking on a weekly conference call) or while sitting on the couch (watching my children mindlessly watch the Disney Channel). For those that don’t know Facebook, the tool is absolutely amazing from a technology perspective and it is truly worthy of being called the number one social networking site. It is smart and intuitive, each day finding new ways to suggest “friends” based on everything and anything that I have typed onto my page. At the same time – once you are consumed – you are almost unknowingly giving and taking, lifting up your skirt and showing all the pieces of your life (good or bad). For example, it became way too obvious that I was an Obama supported and Madonna fan given the groups I joined, and it automatically linked me to my husband, who still re-fuses to put up a legit profile picture (no, I am not married to the Greatest American Hero).
But what has become the most telling about me, and not specifically stated on my profile, is that the number one activity consuming my life is parenting. Nothing like reviewing your status updates over a month to drive that point home and having Facebook serve as daily reminder of what we signed up for three and a half years ago. Below is a quick glance at recent posts and since I haven’t been blogging much it also serves as a run down on what’s been keeping us busy (and on our toes). And yes, you have to quickly get over the fact you are talking about yourself in third person.
- Sherri is late to Avery’s tumbling class.
- Sherri is wishing that Avery wouldn't wake up at 4:00 am ready to play.
- Sherri is getting an impromptu (and atypical) biblical lesson from her three year old.
- Sherri is still feeling guilty over sending Alex to school on Silly Hat Day without a hat!
- Sherri is glad not to have two little mouths to feed this morning.
- Sherri is glad that Alex said he dose not like the taste of wine, but concerned that he adamantly said he would be drinking it by the age of four.
- Sherri is officially destined to get up with kids at 5:00 am ...
- Sherri is reluctantly buying one more Doodlebop’s video and a case of Benadryl. You do what you have to do!
- Sherri is shopping for ski pants … and again, not for her.
- Sherri is mastering the ability to yell at her children in a whisper.
- Sherri is wondering why Avery woke up with a two inch screw in her hand and where exactly it came out of the crib.
So I do question if people really need to know this about me or if I need to know that someone’s trip to Florida got them tan and drunk or that their new homemade babyfood recipe turned out fantastic. But I play along thinking it matters, because secretly I do enjoy everyone’s little insights and acting as a voyeur into lives outside my living room. Again, I am a parent of two little kids and don’t get out much.
However, the one comment I posted the other day that I find most interesting is that “Sherri is realizing her lifespan on Facebook is ten years.” This stemmed from a conversation with a friend who has teenage boys. And as she pointed out, once kids are that old the thought of your mom on Facebook is just plain creepy. I see the point and the opportunities for confusion – who has the right to post the prom picture? So I’ll just enjoy my time for now and wait for the third wave of social networking or high school reunion tools to surface for my generation.
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