Some people were asking why I don't often go online at FB or update my posts for that matter. They would've wanted to talk to me there. FB and I had a colorful past. I took it seriously once and things went horribly wrong. I had to renovate it completely by erasing and hiding several notes, pictures and posts. I even went so far as to delete certain people only to add them back after the storm passed and renovation was completed. Things settled about a year later and even then I had minimized any form of interaction with what few friends I added on my list. That happened to my second account, by the way. I thought I could start anew after deactivating my first account (which I totally detested because of the sort of crowd who were adding me). Why they even bothered adding me when I hardly exchanged words with them during high school. So I thought that by assuming anonymity I'd be able to let loose and have more fun in my second account. Well I was wrong. The fun was short-lived and I ended up bickering with one of my best friends.
The thing about FB, as much as I respect Mark Zuckerberg for inventing it, is that it has too many implications alongside deliberate and inadvertent breaches of privacy. I like implications but if they border on slander to the point of maligning, assassinating or tearing a person's character to shreds, they become intolerable and simply atrocious. It's also become the norm to scream, rage, make online suicide notes, rumormonger, backbite or bash other people at FB. Whatever happened to heart-to-heart talks or face-to-face confrontations? I have often read posts that are just regurgitated from what's already there on the news. But if there's anything I can never withstand at FB, it's those mushy-gushy posts. The term "public display of affection" is taken to a whole new level. Digital flirting, anyone? Seriously, this is far from the socializing I've imagined. When I do come across witty, generalist and socially relevant posts, liking isn't so very hard. And when friends leave messages or pop up to chat with me, I always feel happy. But when they're busy with their own respective lives, Facebook is kind of dull. I've already played all the games I needed to - Farmville, Tetris, Restaurant City, IK, Batheo - and I've already reached the point where playing games is no longer as thrilling as when I first played them. Right now, I am more concerned with what's going to happen to me in the next five years.
Let me just say that FB usage is a double-edged sword. Yes, it is a good tool for communication and stress relief. You can feel supported with all the likes and sympathetic or cheering comments. On the downside, however, FB has the tendency to ruin particular relationships because of all the implied, if not blatant, messages people are posting every now and then. Not to mention the number of spy accounts who add you, thinking maybe you're too dumb to notice them. I know, okay? That's why you can't see my posts. People become too dependent on FB, using it as a means to get sympathy all the time. Oh, and there are people who won't hesitate to brandish your notes, photos or status messages as they please. It's irritating when people like Tricia B. and the STC girls accuse others of "invading their privacy." There was much furor when Tricia's derogatory notes about the Igorots and the STC girls' photos of unbridled lust were circulated to the rest of the online society. Just so you know, girls, nothing is ever "private" at FB even if you did privatize your account. The fact that you add hundreds and thousands of friends without measuring how close they are to you means that you are subjecting yourself to the scrutiny of people, who in turn have a network of friends you know nothing about. FB is a SOCIAL NETWORK. You socialize and risk getting censured. Deal with it. If you really want your posts and pictures to be private, adjust your settings to 'Only Me' or customize them for a particular set of friends. Because you posted stuff for everyone in your circle to see, then you're simply trying to broadcast your... ugh... "activities."
I have been there and done that, that's why I'm hardly taking this social network seriously except for the purposes I mentioned. By not taking it seriously, I mean to refrain from using it maybe for like every other month. If I do login prematurely, it means I've run out of coping mechanisms or there are important messages I must attend to. But if you see my blog posts filling to the brim, then that means blogging is a far more effective stress-reliever than FB could ever have been. People were kind of laughing at my FB profile pic, "a lumbering pink starfish," which stands in stark contrast with my work information: a revolutionary tax collector at the New People's Army. I wasn't lying. I just wasn't serious. Haha. That was the point I wanted to get across and only one person kind of got the message. Kudos! The rest were under the impression I was just a little off in the head.
So, I've been stalling for a long time now, spouting my thoughts about FB instead of directly going to the main menu. I intend to continue the second stretch of my introspective endeavor but this next set of questions is much harder to answer than the last ones. Anyway, here goes.
11. Have I hurt others?
To be continued (Part III: 21-30)...
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Questions are brought to you by www.lyved.com.
The thing about FB, as much as I respect Mark Zuckerberg for inventing it, is that it has too many implications alongside deliberate and inadvertent breaches of privacy. I like implications but if they border on slander to the point of maligning, assassinating or tearing a person's character to shreds, they become intolerable and simply atrocious. It's also become the norm to scream, rage, make online suicide notes, rumormonger, backbite or bash other people at FB. Whatever happened to heart-to-heart talks or face-to-face confrontations? I have often read posts that are just regurgitated from what's already there on the news. But if there's anything I can never withstand at FB, it's those mushy-gushy posts. The term "public display of affection" is taken to a whole new level. Digital flirting, anyone? Seriously, this is far from the socializing I've imagined. When I do come across witty, generalist and socially relevant posts, liking isn't so very hard. And when friends leave messages or pop up to chat with me, I always feel happy. But when they're busy with their own respective lives, Facebook is kind of dull. I've already played all the games I needed to - Farmville, Tetris, Restaurant City, IK, Batheo - and I've already reached the point where playing games is no longer as thrilling as when I first played them. Right now, I am more concerned with what's going to happen to me in the next five years.
Let me just say that FB usage is a double-edged sword. Yes, it is a good tool for communication and stress relief. You can feel supported with all the likes and sympathetic or cheering comments. On the downside, however, FB has the tendency to ruin particular relationships because of all the implied, if not blatant, messages people are posting every now and then. Not to mention the number of spy accounts who add you, thinking maybe you're too dumb to notice them. I know, okay? That's why you can't see my posts. People become too dependent on FB, using it as a means to get sympathy all the time. Oh, and there are people who won't hesitate to brandish your notes, photos or status messages as they please. It's irritating when people like Tricia B. and the STC girls accuse others of "invading their privacy." There was much furor when Tricia's derogatory notes about the Igorots and the STC girls' photos of unbridled lust were circulated to the rest of the online society. Just so you know, girls, nothing is ever "private" at FB even if you did privatize your account. The fact that you add hundreds and thousands of friends without measuring how close they are to you means that you are subjecting yourself to the scrutiny of people, who in turn have a network of friends you know nothing about. FB is a SOCIAL NETWORK. You socialize and risk getting censured. Deal with it. If you really want your posts and pictures to be private, adjust your settings to 'Only Me' or customize them for a particular set of friends. Because you posted stuff for everyone in your circle to see, then you're simply trying to broadcast your... ugh... "activities."
I have been there and done that, that's why I'm hardly taking this social network seriously except for the purposes I mentioned. By not taking it seriously, I mean to refrain from using it maybe for like every other month. If I do login prematurely, it means I've run out of coping mechanisms or there are important messages I must attend to. But if you see my blog posts filling to the brim, then that means blogging is a far more effective stress-reliever than FB could ever have been. People were kind of laughing at my FB profile pic, "a lumbering pink starfish," which stands in stark contrast with my work information: a revolutionary tax collector at the New People's Army. I wasn't lying. I just wasn't serious. Haha. That was the point I wanted to get across and only one person kind of got the message. Kudos! The rest were under the impression I was just a little off in the head.
So, I've been stalling for a long time now, spouting my thoughts about FB instead of directly going to the main menu. I intend to continue the second stretch of my introspective endeavor but this next set of questions is much harder to answer than the last ones. Anyway, here goes.
11. Have I hurt others?
I definitely have. I'm only human, born to make mistakes - if FIVE was in the house say it loud! Woah!12. Do I complain?
I do. Not always. But when I do, my complaints cover social issues (again) and effed up people in society, especially the government. I complain about varying degrees and forms of injustice.13. What's next for me?
That I cannot say. Those stupid job interviewers who always ask, "How do you see yourself two/five/ten years from now?" I know they're trying to see whether you're sure about your direction in life, but can you really be that sure?
I'm sorry but I'm not that much of a planner. I don't want my life to be as predictable as that, thank you. I wish I could have just told them then: "I'll go ride my time machine first. Can you wait for a moment?" And then I'll walk straight out of the moron's office. The more I plan, the more those plans go awry. I just let go, let life and let God. He knows what's gonna happen better than I do although I don't really want spoilers either. :P As long as I am able to publish that book and become the writer I've always envisioned, it doesn't matter when or how I'll get there. What matters is I'll get there. I definitely will. That's next.14. Do I have fun?
Always. Not perhaps on an every minute, every second basis, but yes I do have fun. I have fun with family, at work, with friends, with our noisy dogs and round chickens at home, watching kids on the streets as they attempt to understand the world, being angry at obnoxious jeepney drivers and conductors, with total strangers who talk to me as if we're longtime friends, subtly observing people who are too self-conscious with the way they dress and with life in general. I cry and get depressed just as much, but even during those tearful and dark moments I had fun.15. Have I seized opportunities?
Some I did, some I did not. How do I tell the difference? My mind doesn't seem to function well today. Hard question. Next one, please. (:16. Do I care about others?
I certainly do. I give as much care as necessary. This seems redundant. Why don't you refer to question 9 of my previous entry? Care bears? Okay, next question.17. Do I spend enough time with my family?
I believe I do. I am often with them for meals, church, foot massages, fast food drives or beach trips. But there are just times when I don't spend as much time as I should because of faith. They seem to be too religious for my own good and I have to protect the essence of my own structureless faith. I am also apt to point out inconsistencies. I love them nonetheless.18. Am I open-minded?
It depends on the issue. I support the LGBT movement and same-sex marriage does not offend me in the least. People can cohabitate all they want, so long as they are genuinely in love and eventually marry. However, I really don't like the idea of pre-marital sex and trial-and-error romance. As much as possible, marriage should precede all sexual acts and all sexual acts should have the express consent and blessing of God and your family. More importantly, marriage shouldn't be done out of obligation or respectability (because you're already 7 months pregnant or whatever) but because you are deeply and irrevocably in love with the person you're gonna be married to. At least have a decent concept of love before rushing to the altar. I really can't accept divorce or annulment (except in cases where husbands beat or cheat on their wives).
As for other issues, I don't like the present administration and my mind shuts down whenever someone mentions the president's name. P-Noy is the next best thing since... balut. LMAO. Anyway, I just dislike his guts. He's running a country with little knowledge and it's d-d-dangerous. Also, I can't be open-minded to rebel groups like the NPA (despite my FB advocacy of their group) and the Moro insurgents. They're using the wrong method and are not really using their heads. Young members of the PNP and the military are equally annoying. They don't understand what wearing a uniform signifies: it's for protecting the civilians, not to strut around as if you're lord over them. I like multi-ethnic societies though and fusion of cultures and international conventions where you see people of various sizes, shapes and colors gathering together in one circle. Simply cool.19. Have I seen enough of the world?
Ah, my favorite question. The answer however is... NO. But I really want to see more of the world. So badly. I don't earn that much though nor do I have much time or credentials to apply for an embassy-sponsored scholarship. Someone enlighten me on this. Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, Romania, France, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, New Zealand - just lend me a world map since I can't afford to go to these places yet.20. Do I judge others?
I do and I don't. I like Judge chewing gum. Haha. I simply can't judge when I'm asked to judge myself. How prejudiced am I? Hand me a measuring stick, please.So until the next set of questions. Time for bed. Time check: 11:28pm (GMT +8). And just so you know, my best friend and I already patched things up since February of last year and recently went for a mall stroll. We've also rekindled our FB friendship but are less active these days. Maturity strikes the once flooded dikes. ;) I think I said something gross just now but whatever. Haha.
To be continued (Part III: 21-30)...
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