To shun or not to shun.....

Facebook, is it bad or somehow a lifeline for me. I have reconnected with so many friends from my past lives. College friends, high school friends, even a friend I knew as a pre-schooler. It has shown me how small the world is by the "common friends" I have with others. I have times (more often than I like to admit) when I feel very isolated in my life. Facebook has given me an outlet for friendships that would never exist without the internet. However, it does seem to monopolize my time and even my thoughts periodically. I have friends who have viewed Facebook as such a negative that they are giving it up for the summer, maybe longer. I do have this blog, but with very few followers. I am not sure if I feel the need to be perceived as interesting or funny.... Maybe I just love the connectedness I feel to people. I do not want my boys to feel they are unimportant because of time I spend.

I love that I can "cyber-watch" 24 and American Idol with friends from Ohio and Florida in real time. I love that I can have responses from my sister in Cali and my mom in Seattle simultaneously to my photos or comments. I originally started my page to share photos and our life with my mom across the miles. I didn't even use my full name. I changed to using my full and even maiden name after a few months. Now there are connections with sorority sisters I would never have looked for or spoken to if not for Facebook.

I do have to say that living my life as if it is a "status update" is unnecessary. I do want to give Facebook its proper place in my life. My home may never be completely organized or clean at the same time, but that has less to do with the time misspent on Facebook and more a reflection of my to find something else "more important" to do. My ADD tendencies come into play. I have the best intentions and vision, but am never quite able to make all the pieces come into place at the same time.

I see my friends' need to break ties with FB as honorable. The question I ask myself is do I feel guilty because I am not feeling that devoted to being FB free? Should I make this blog more public so as to have connectedness through this, instead? I want to make this summer enjoyable and memorable for my boys. I guess if my "need" to be on FB interferes with that, I will make changes, but for now, I think I will stay a friend.