In pursuit of Hearts

I gave up Facebook on January 13th. Cold turkey! No status updates, no peeking at the newsfeed, no pictures posted. This month I started just checking my messages and looking for school updates, but I have no desire to be a full-fledged Facebook participant again. 

I knew it would eventually come to this when Steve first launched our account last February. See, I know these things about myself. The same way I know that I won't step foot in a bar. I won't buy a new car, I won't tattoo my skin. Don't get me wrong, these things aren't awful. Just like Facebook isn't awful. It's just not for me for different reasons, some of them quite funny. Like the reason I won't tattoo my body. It would drive me crazy to have a design on me that is the same. Every day! Forever!  Wipe off tattoos are awesome. I like change! I won't step foot in a bar because of genetics. I have no desire to continue the alcoholism in my family. Oddly, I've always liked the taste of beer. I'm Irish, I'm German, yeah, I can see the correlation. So I'm careful. And no car dealer will ever get me! Used cars, baby, that's the way I roll. I hate car payments! 

And Facebook, though we have broken up, you served your purpose- I shared the details of Natalie's surgery and kept everyone informed. But when I was done sharing, they were done listening. Except for the lovely strangers I met who still keep in touch. Facebook gets the credit for a couple new friendships, I suppose. But it's also another tool to stay at an arms length from people. 

Just another way humans express every emotion to anyone who will listen for their own agendas. Your forum is rarely about meaningful topics, but rather a spewing of political blather, the sharing of physical symptoms, the careless spilling of fleeting emotions, and the bottomless need for human attention. It's very "me" generated, much like the world we live in. It's much the opposite of the world I want to see: one who puts others above himself, and one who doesn't feel the need to announce every little thing to the world, be it good or bad. What does the world need most? Human contact. Real love. Energy. Connection. Selflessness!! You can try to manufacture it by email, text, or social media, but none of it will reach the most important thing of all. Your heart. There is no substitute for real human relationships!! Getting off Facebook has made me realize this more and I've gotten back in the habit of talking to my dear friend on the phone every week again! 

I needed to shared heart and Facebook left me empty. Real people have hearts and those are the ones it will spend time pursuing.