My Space is My Private Space

From "The Best of..." files.

(This post was written in 2008 when I was trying out My Space... turns out My Space was a dud and I haven't gone on since.)

 

I haven't been on My Space for a long time.  I admit to being a Facebook frequenter who logs on now and then to see what my "friends" have been up to, or what's going on in the lives of others.   (How society has evolved that we log onto a computer instead of phoning or "dropping in" for coffee -  but that's another blog for another time.)

When I log onto Facebook, I'm not on more than a few seconds when I get a message from a "friend" who must have been watching their "online" list and waiting for someone as special as me to log in. 

I can imagine someone sitting in front of their computer, leaned forward a tad, hands beginning to tremble on the keyboard while their dry eyes are staring intently at the "online" statuses.  "Oh my Gosh! (or I'm sorry... OMG), will anyone log on that I chat with??  Oh please hurry already!  I need to talk to someone!!!!  Anyone!!!  I need to ask if they have a cow that they can give me for my farm (Farmville addicts know what I mean)!!  Mercy, how can I leave my desk and possibly miss the attention of someone... anyone... Oh Gosh!!!  I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE... aaaaaaaahhhh...."

Then I log in.

Sudden relief for my friend.  "Wheew!!  Finally!! Lynnette is online.  She will be sure to acknowledge my existence!!!"  so says my "friend" .. .. 

"Hey!"  I see on my monitor.

I "hey" back.  And some sort of usually meaningless chit-chat begins.

But, it's not just one "friend"... oh no!!  4,      5,      6... at once. 

Am I that damn popular?  Or are they that lonely?  If they got up out of that chair and explored the real world once in a while... ....   .... oh wait... again that's another blog... for another time.

Suddenly, after I've checked out my emails on FB, I suddenly have to go.  Now to disengage in the chit chat without being rude. "GTG. TTYL." serves that purpose.


Don't get me wrong, there are a handful of people that I do like chatting with, but they are the same people that I see regularly, either at work, or when we go for coffee, hang out at the spa, go shopping together.  Our chats are rather limited to "Want to go for coffee?" or "Can you believe who got voted off Survivor??  I'm never watching that again!!!" and my favorite: "blah blah blah".  Well, it's meaningless to most, but best friends can understand that language. 


So back to My Space.  I checked out My Space originally to see what the big deal about it was.  I tried to find folks I know but to no avail.  The truth is...  I am alone on here.

Nobody I know is on here.  And nobody knows me.  I am ALONE!

...??
..?

..  I AM ALONE ON HERE!!!  YAY!

This is the one place online where I do not know a soul, where I can write whatever I want and be as snide as I want to be.  I can be the "real" me without having to make sure my status isn't offending any "friends".  I don't have to worry about insulting my job for fear my boss will read it.  And I don't have to worry about my daughter and her friends misconstruing things I might post.

I don't have to feel awkward about logging in, dreading that my old high school boyfriend will say "hey", or reading about how my coworkers had a bad day because of the lady in the other office.

I can log in, I can write my thoughts, and ...

... and well... I can peek around at other people's sites... maybe?  but whose?

... Yes indeed... My Space is my alone space.  My private space.  My "I can be me" space.

I'm going to log in to My Space right now and just be "Lynnette"!

..................

..................
... Well, this is kind of boring.... 

..............

Oh shoot!!!   I just heard someone log into facebook!!!!!!

GTG.  TTYL.


(actually, I'm not that pathetic... I'm actually off to tuck my girl in and kiss her good night.  In my house, on my block with my family... in my space.)

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