Less Facebook. More Faces and Books.

Last night, after not a whole lot of thought and deliberation, I decided to deactivate my Facebook account.

I know. Seems like a decision that deserves a lot of time and consideration. Regardless, I found my fingers easily clicking through the series of prompts and agreeing to disable my page. Rest assured, I can return at any time and everything should be exactly how I left it. Phew. But once I thought about what I had done I could feel my body relax and silently thank me.

Lately I've felt like there are two people living inside of me. The "Facebook Ashley" who broadcasts endless (but edited) experiences with the world and the shy little girl who quietly grew older to live a private existence. I spent my childhood holding my tongue and observing the world around me. Countless observations and a window into human habits have molded me into the woman that now sits to write this. It's been a long journey and I've definitely developed in the process. What I don't share on Facebook is all the thinking I actually do about the path of our existence and about philosophy and about my genuine fears. Often those things are hidden by youtube clips of puppies or the inspiring quotes from my students. Or the details of one of my disastrous falls into oncoming traffic. And I love being able to share my life in a fairly public setting in hopes that others will find my ups and downs amusing or entertaining. But I don't want to sustain that all the time.

At least, not without a little vacation. So it's time for some rest and relaxation. I'll be back to the fast paced life of Facebook soon enough but with all the time I spend Facebooking, I could actually be having more face to face connections. Or reading more books. It's worth a try anyway.