Saying “Sayonara” to Facebook For a While

I’m going to be taking a little break from Facebook.  (Notice I said “little” – I can’t even bear to think that it’d be a “big” break.)  I love Facebook.  It’s connected me with lots of people and keeps me connected.  I love seeing pictures of the kids on their first day of school, my friends’ grandchildren, funny forwards, people’s amazing vacations.  But there’s one big problem:

I care WAY TOO MUCH about who “likes” me.  And more accurately, who doesn’t.

Ha!  Notice, I even said who likes ME, not something I posted, but “me.”  For a person with a lot of insecurities, the whole “like” button idea can be a total trainwreck.

Now, for those of you with super healthy self-esteems, who couldn’t care less about what others think of you (man, how I wish I was you) you may think this is crazy and dumb. And you know what? It really is.  But for me, I have been spending way too much time checking the list of names to see who liked my latest post. Many times searching for that one name . . . “did she like this one?”  I can get a whole lotta likes, but if that one is missing, the Rejection Train pulls right up to the front door and calls, “Get on board, Patti! . . . .  Or don’t.  . . . No one will notice anyway!”   Completely nuts for a mature (ma-TOOR) woman like me.

When you get to be 55, you shouldn’t really care about this stuff anymore, right?  Lord willing, I make it to be a “really old lady,” I don’t want to still be wondering if I’m liked enough.  (I’m turning 56 fairly soon, and in some countries, that’s considered “really old,” so I need to address this matter.)  Look at the Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham (so I know she’s a fictional character, but work with me . . . ) I LOVED her in Downton Abbey and I doubt she cared one iota if anyone liked her back!

I don’t want to not care at all, I just want to care less.

So I’ve decided to say “Sayonara” to Facebook for a little while.  Since it’s the first day of September, it makes sense to say “for the month of September.”  (When I was considering this, I rejoiced quietly that there are only 30 days in September.  Yes, I do have a problem.)

I’m going to continue blogging and those posts will automatically go to my Maga Chronicles Facebook page.  If, by some wonderful chance, you read something and want to comment, you can do so on the bottom of that blog page.  And I’m not swearing off Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter.  I don’t have compulsions where those are concerned.  Besides, I’ve got to be able to see pics of my grandkids somewhere!

I’m really going to miss the good parts of Facebook but need to get this insecurity under control.

If you want to read my blog posts, I’d really “like” it.