Giving up Facebook should not really count as a bona fide, true sacrifice. After all, it doesn't involve food, money, or sleep.... On the surface. Having just entered Day Four of the experience, I can say it is quite possibly going to impact all 3 of those categories before the second week begins. I have recently come to realize that FB is a way for me to avoid phone conversations (which I dislike) while still maintaining contact with friends and family. In fact, I am in contact with a very wide range of friends through the magic of FB. I now recieve and send messages with friends from high school and college, relatives who I might otherwise only see at funerals, neighbors from some of the six states we have lived in. I love to get glimpses into their lives, especially when I can surf in at my convenience, like maybe at 3 am when the sandman refuses to stop by.
It turns out, when I know there is something interesting to do at 3 am, I find I wake up frequently just to scratch that itch. Yes, a little like an addiction. An addiction that does cut into my sleep habits.
I typically spend an hour each Saturday morning snuggled under the covers "catching up" with said digital friends. Okay, to be honest that hour may well turn into two. On work mornings, of course, I don't have that kind of free time, so I may only spend twenty minutes. Guess what? I am often about ten minutes late for work. Hhmmm.... So, perhaps this sacrifice its beginning to link itself, rightfully, into the realm of sleep and money. What about food?
I find the internet a treasure trove of resources when it comes to new recipes and menu planning/suggestions. I recently converted to the paleo diet, and struggle to stay true to the commitment. In fact, many friends post helpful ideas on their FB pages. So staying off the site will definitely cause me to widen my internet search efforts. Probably not a bad thing. My real problem, in recent weeks, has been that whatever I do online, my FB notifications keep drawing me back in, like the proverbial moth to the flame. I might actually become more productive after hours for the coming few weeks. (note: I don't access FB during the work day. Much. Except maybe while eating lunch at my desk, when I find that I prefer my virtual friends to my co workers. Can I get an Amen?!) I might need to reconnect with my work friends over the coming weeks. Again, not a bad thing.
I will endeavor to cling to this Lenten sacrifice. I had originally planned to pray every time I felt the urge to surf FB, now I may mix that with a little blogging as well.
