Deactivating My Facebook Account. I Feel Free!

Me and Facebook are no more...at least until I change my mind if I ever change my mind. I chose the "deactivate" option and can reactivate whenever I wish if I ever wish, which is about as likely as....well, we'll see. Social media and me are not friends. Here's why:

First there are the security issues. This is not so much a problem for me as I do not conduct my business on the computer for the most part. I use Paypal mostly for online transactions. But in general the potential for privacy violations is bothersome, although not my primary concern. My biggest concern is my personal lack of autonomy. This is mainly personal issue for me. For one who will so often offer an opinion for the world to read, I am at the same time rather private. I am not the social critter I used to be. I have very few close friends these days and am quite pleased with that condition. I am a weird combination opinionated clown, lying low under the radar and not one too awful apt to invite the world into my private business, so why would I want to be there for the world to find at their whim? I like my privacy.

As one who never sits with their back to a door, Facebook is an invitation for everyone in the world to find you for whatever reason, good or bad. I liked hearing from a few folks I'd lost touch with for sure. But I also heard from a few who I feel we've drifted too far apart and had so little in common with that I am not interested in maintaining contact. And for the record, they are female type folks, so this is not a "Oh dear, they are coming for me" thing in any way. And in fairness, there is nothing wrong with the people I am referring to here, merely that I have found they are alive and well and that was the total extent of my curiosity in the first place.

Of course they are former gal pals in the romp in the hay fashion and I am not interested in that as I am very happily married to my little woofie. Not to say my former gal pals were trying to hook up again or any of that, but I discovered after having reconnected, I really only had a romantic interest in them to begin with. It was not like they would have been close pals if we hadn't been doing the humpty dance if ya get my drift. Again, nothing at all wrong with the people I am referring to here, merely that I am just not interested.

As well, I don't farm; I don't report my every thought or post photos of myself and I don't really care whatever the Hell it is others are posting about themselves. I am a curmudgeon - no joke and no wilting comment that. I find many folks drain my resources and YES, I am the first to admit to being a rather lazy hedonist. If I wanted to know every f-ing thing about you I'd call ya or visit, right? More importantly, if I wanted one to have their head up my ass I would invite them to place their noggin's right slam there now wouldn't I?

I used to be the most social person you'd ever meet. I was a 24/7 party waiting to happen. I have tons and tons of acquaintances but damn few close friends and I like it like that to be honest. I am too selfish with my time and resources to want dozens and dozens of friends with whom I must keep up and who must keep up with me. I am way over that.

Perhaps it's a factor of my never staying in any geographic region more than a dozen or so years before moving to a new location or back to an old one. I spent 18 years in the DC area growing up; 6 years going back and forth to Va Beach; a brief stint in Reno, NV; 11 years in Raleigh, NC and have been in Richmond now for the last 19 years non-stop and will likely stay in Richmond or the immediate surrounds. Unless one stays in close physical proximity to their ancestral home or long-lived location we lose contact with old pals and such, and so it is with me. Most of my former pals and associates ARE NOT "former" for any reason other than my relocating a few times in my adult life. I do however admire folks who have had lifelong friends, I am just not one of them is all.

Facebook is great for keeping up with old pals with whom we've lost touch. So given the foregoing, Facebook is nothing more than an advertisement that "hey, here I am!" I would love to know that all my former friends, gal pals and associates are well, but for the most part that's as far as it goes for me. Like I said, none of this is about the merit of other folks, merely my selfishness and total lack of interest in social media.

Yes, I am a curmudgeon, a hedonist, selfish and all the rest. I have absolutely zero desire to be connected 24/7 with anyone other than family and they all know my number. Now it only depends on if I want to answer their calls when they pop up on my caller ID, right? Yeah, I'm bad for that ....unless of course my granddaughter Roni calls me, but as she's only three weeks old, I doubt she'll be calling for a few years just yet.