Giving in to Facebook

When my childhood friend Elissa suggested a few months ago that I join Facebook, I felt a panic attack come on. No really. My hands got clammy and cold and my heart started to beat really fast.

She told me that it was a great way to connect with people from the past. And there lies the problem: I don't want to reconnect with people from the past. That's why they are in the past. In fact there are people in the present that I do not want to reconnect with. Some of them live less than a block away. Some of them make me do the avoidance duck and run in the food store. The reason people fall away and disconnect is because you no longer have anything in common with them. Seeing and communicating with them is painful.Why would I want to invite awkwardness back into my life. And why would I want to disturb my happy memory of them which is a lovely edited version of reality?

And so, I did not join Facebook, content to live by my conviction. That was until the other day when I got that insidious email from Rue La La. Because here is the other thing about me--one of the things I derive immense pleasure from is being an excellent shopper. Nothing thrills me more than getting a great bargain--it's the hunt and kill instinct in me. So I subscribe and stalk shopping websites. Rue La La is one of my favorites. And the other day Rue La La sent me an email that they were having a double secret sale but it was only on Facebook. I could not even find out which designers were to be featured at the sale.

Yep. This was not workingfor me. Screw my personal convictions about solitude and maintained memory. A good bargain trumps all. It was time to bite the bullet.

And so I am now an official member of Facebook. I've got a picture and a profile too. I stalk people. And....people I do not like have already made friend requests and I friended them anyway. And some people who I am not exactly fond of write on my wall. It is amzing what you will endure just for inside access to BCBG and Amarita Singh.