A Faebook Response

I've thought about this for a couple of days. Mulled it over. Contemplated it...then determined I wanted to write something about it. A couple of days ago, I saw a post come across my newsfeed that made me sad and mad at the same time. Sad, because I know that it is true, at least in part. Mad as well, because I saw a sweeping generalization applied to Facebook users that I know, at least for myself, is not the truth. It talked about how people just never believe what they read in anyone's posts here. They believe everyone (in general) is lying. Isn't this a sad commentary on society? We have 25...50...100...200...500 Facebook friends...but deep down, we believe their posts present a false image of their lives? What does that say about our society...about ourselves, individually? "I'll have you as a quasi-friend on Facebook, but I refuse to believe a word you post about your life." As a human being, I suppose I'd rather skip over the bad and concentrate on the good. After all, who wants to hear for the umpteenth time that there are times, as a single woman when I get lonely? I'll be frank and admit I don't want to see someone go on and on and on and on about a recurring issue. It's monotonous. Tedious. Frustrating. For them and for me. I'm here to tell you I don't agree with that post. When I see happy pictures, thoughts, recipes, ideas, or posts roll across my newsfeed...I'm happy for that person. Those posts might come at a point in my day...or my week, month, or year (lol)...when I just need to see that at least SOMEone is more-than-just surviving. That they're thriving...loving life...enjoying the ride. Do I think that we humans can be 100% happy every moment of every day? Of course not! But, as a person who tries extremely hard to choose to look at all life has to offer in a glass-half-full kind of way, it rankles deep within my spirit that there are those who might see a happy post of mine and think it's a lie! I strive to only present the truth....and if I'm not happy (or you're not, or your friends' friend of a friend isn't)....that's okay! Once in a while, I DO post not-so-happy things....because I want those in my network here...family, friends, acquaintances, and people I've never met face to face...to know that I am real. I live, eat, work, clean my apartment, play with my cat, feel lonely, feel frustrated, and sometimes there are THOSE moments when I see something and gratefulness floods my spirit. Do I post my WHOLE life? No. Do I post when it matters to me? Yes. Do I post hoping someone else will glean something from an experience or line of thought I've had? Yes. WHY do I post? Because...if you're on my friends list on Facebook...you matter to me. And, I want us all to be able to relate to each other, knowing that each of us individually, living our lives, posting & sharing, are part of what makes the world go 'round.
We live in a cyber age, folks. You know that future we dreamed about when we were young? It's here. It's now. We don't get any do-overs, and we shouldn't waste the time we have right this moment. We don't know how long we have...we don't know our appointed time. Do we really want to look back on our lives and remember with bitterness that we could never believe a word folks we called friends said? Do we even know what a friend is? We struggle and grasp at what we think is happiness, only to find out in the end that it's relationships that matter, not things. I cannot and will not apologize for who I am, how I think or feel, or whom I choose as friends. This is an all-me-all-the-time-good-with-the-bad human being you're reading about. While I know there ARE liars out there, I will continue to give the benefit of the doubt where it is merited, and try to always, always look for the good. Isn't that all any of us can do? And isn't it better to have tried to find the positive...than to live your (cyber) life assuming everyone is lying?