Facebook is my squirrel...

I had a thought today... right after a received 2 emails from old friends from afar and one from not very far (the magic of leaving FB strikes again), who commented that they would miss my posts.

Hmmmm

That got me thinking. FB is a problem for me in the "time waster, browse for hours looking at meaningless posts, reading complete strangers profiles who attract my attention because they know someone I know" kind of way. However, it's not a problem when I think about people out there enjoying what I post. I found that the second I deleted my profile, I first thought, "hmmm, now where will I post my "notice the beauty" (NTB) photos (I'll tell you more about that later), and secondly I thought, "really - so do I really need to eliminate the entire profile? Isn't that a bit extreme?"

why can't it just sit there. unobserved. or... why can't I just use it as a place to receive messages... or see what's happening on the village group page or... or...oooh it's a slippery slope


I'll tell you why - because it's shiny. and I'm curious (aka nosy for knowledge)... and very distractible lately. It's like the dog in the movie "Up"... I'm doing my thing, focused on this thing I'm doing, then click, "squirrel!"... my attention is on something else.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSUXXzN26zg

Facebook is my squirrel.

Where is the self control that I thought would come as an adult? Many times I have looked up from my computer/ipad to tell my kiddo that she shouldn't have her ipod/a computer/an ipad attached to her at all times and that there must be something better for her brain to be doing... then turn back to the "work" I was doing... but... um... 

I have research that I am meant to be doing. Seriously... I am trying to do a PhD... and I like the topic... and I am excited about doing this... and I... Squirrel!!

Sorry, what was I saying....

anyway, I've decided that my new experiment is to see how well I do with the knowledge that FB is there, my profile is there... I can post things (like this blog) or my NTB observations (yes, I will explain that) remotely... without ever looking at the actual website... I need rules, boundaries... a shock collar perhaps... that will zap me if I go to the page more than once a day ... for more than 5 minutes. 

... I've just figured out that I can post photos here... so maybe this can be my new outlet for NTB... 

perhaps I should explain...

A few, months ago, I was noticing that I was focusing my attention on a lot of negative junk and wasn't noticing the good stuff around me ... and it's EVERYWHERE... and I don't mean stuff like being grateful I'm alive or that I have a roof over my head or that I'm healthy. That kind of stuff I do generally notice. It's the other stuff... 

like the gum shaped like a heart on the foot path on my way to university...

or the accordion tee shirt in the pile of second hand clothing...

or the weird little plant I pass everyday on the way to kiddo's bus stop...

so I started noticing these bits of beauty all around me, and looked for it... and posted my daily findings... and that made me noticeably more peaceful and I would even say cheerful... it occupied my mind with the good stuff... and stopped me ruminating about dreary stuff that really wasn't necessary to think about at that moment... and so, the NTB project was born. and was going well for quite some time... 

Squirrel!

sigh...