Facebook good for something... (LINK)
June 23rd 2008 01:52
After getting burnt by Facebook recently over a case of "too much information" where I called an old friend to account over her lifestyle choices, and hence the relationship has ended due to my being "sanctimonious", I am pleased to hear the tangled web weaved by its creator is uniting lost pets and their owners.
Back in our "salad days", my friends would play "Don't tell Neen", but technology has made this game redundant, and now wilting lettuce festers in its own slime where judgement remains green. I, on the other hand, have gone onto heartier fare, still maintaining the intemperence and hot-headedness I have always had. Really Long Link
Age has added to these traits the inability to tolerate stupidity in those who should learn from their mistakes, but instead feel their only sorrow in getting busted. Shane Warne is the poster boy for this, with Bridget Jones as his fictional consort.
Like Warnie, technology brought the downfall of this relationship which lasted more than half my life. Early on we had much in common. A common faith, school, friends, and extra-curricular activities. However as these common contexts dwindled away, differences emerged. Attempts at reclaiming our youth had always ended in some form of conflict, usually in the setting of weekends away or long car trips, followed by some degree of alcohol consumption (my "one hit wonders" fading into insignificance as the "Greatest Hits" flowed for hours). These events became the soundtracks of our relationship. Add to the mix totally different political stances, life choices, taste in music, and deeply parochial mindsets, and I'm surprised things lasted as long as they have.
Really Long Link
However, "along came a spider", and this Miss Muffett, fearing creepy, crawly history was going to repeat, shouted email warnings to the one caught in a web. The result was not positive. Like a fly in a web, my friend has been anaethetised, and is convinced the sticky trap is actually a nice springy hammock where she will rest securely. So rather than being frightened away, I've been told to "have a nice life".
When all this blew up, over the course of days, I was furious. When the final email was sent, I was fuming, and knew I needed to have a cry to release the fury. However there were few tears, and no sobbing. There was no grief. Just a slight silent trail of tears from the corner of my eye, like what occurs when one is tired and has a good yawn. I was shocked by this response. I was shocked by the unexpected peace I felt. I was shocked that I was not sad.
I realised that, rather than feeling every relationship must last forever, that some run their course. So many things have become impediments to truly respecting this person over the years. These aren't the life choices so much, but the mindset behind these choices, that differs so much to my own. From every aspect, we are now dissimilar. This relationship has run its course. It was fun, but it is over now. And that's okay. This person will still be someone I care for, because I've done this for a long time. But that caring will be done from a distance, as its expression is unwanted. Truth was not an essential element in this relationship. I was not told it, and she hated hearing it. Neither of us were satisfied with this tension. We snapped simultaneously as our two realities exerted force on the flimsy thread, the final remnant of the strong chord once between us. But some chords must be severed.
I hope the cat and their Facebooking owner can resume where they left off, and neither gets their eyes scratched out.
Back in our "salad days", my friends would play "Don't tell Neen", but technology has made this game redundant, and now wilting lettuce festers in its own slime where judgement remains green. I, on the other hand, have gone onto heartier fare, still maintaining the intemperence and hot-headedness I have always had. Really Long Link
Like Warnie, technology brought the downfall of this relationship which lasted more than half my life. Early on we had much in common. A common faith, school, friends, and extra-curricular activities. However as these common contexts dwindled away, differences emerged. Attempts at reclaiming our youth had always ended in some form of conflict, usually in the setting of weekends away or long car trips, followed by some degree of alcohol consumption (my "one hit wonders" fading into insignificance as the "Greatest Hits" flowed for hours). These events became the soundtracks of our relationship. Add to the mix totally different political stances, life choices, taste in music, and deeply parochial mindsets, and I'm surprised things lasted as long as they have.
Really Long Link
When all this blew up, over the course of days, I was furious. When the final email was sent, I was fuming, and knew I needed to have a cry to release the fury. However there were few tears, and no sobbing. There was no grief. Just a slight silent trail of tears from the corner of my eye, like what occurs when one is tired and has a good yawn. I was shocked by this response. I was shocked by the unexpected peace I felt. I was shocked that I was not sad.
I realised that, rather than feeling every relationship must last forever, that some run their course. So many things have become impediments to truly respecting this person over the years. These aren't the life choices so much, but the mindset behind these choices, that differs so much to my own. From every aspect, we are now dissimilar. This relationship has run its course. It was fun, but it is over now. And that's okay. This person will still be someone I care for, because I've done this for a long time. But that caring will be done from a distance, as its expression is unwanted. Truth was not an essential element in this relationship. I was not told it, and she hated hearing it. Neither of us were satisfied with this tension. We snapped simultaneously as our two realities exerted force on the flimsy thread, the final remnant of the strong chord once between us. But some chords must be severed.
I hope the cat and their Facebooking owner can resume where they left off, and neither gets their eyes scratched out.
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