somewhere over lake michigan on the flight home, i grabbed the hand of the lady sitting beside me. i was that scared. she didn’t react well. but this is a risk one takes, the unexpected intimacy, during travel.
still, the aluminum tube, all every how many tons of it, was guided safely to a terminal at o’hare airport and i turned my phone back on to discover a strange message. but first. . .
while i was in new york, i was supposed to take the ferry to staten island to meet my older son joseph (f2fb #61) his girlfriend who would have been, should have been, could have been f2fb #62. instead they broke up this weekend.
they have a lot of mutual friends. friends who are on facebook. friends who are updating, posting, commenting, liking and–if facebook had this option–disliking. so they made a pact to delete their accounts. deleting is a little more permanent than deactivating. there is a two week window within which either of them can reclaim their posts, their friends, their photos, their feed. i think it’s a wonderful cleansing thing to do. although i wondered. . . .
when i got my messages in chicago, i got a message from a facebook friend who said “just want you to know i’m deactivating my account”. i called him. he is a wonderful man. handsome. smart. great job. early thirties. single. everything coming together for him. and he was always on facebook–posting pictures, i.m.ing, commenting. but he had a rough valentine’s day watching all the posts from all the ladies posting pictures of the great time they had on valentine’s day and all the small slights and hurts that come from facebook.
now for delightful. . . .i am signing copies of my book about the history of northfield and my history of winnetka at the book stall in winnetka on friday at six p.m. and then there’s the grand march through michigan! i will meet with the beautiful and talented donna leonard and linda glaser and i hope to ride a horse (which will surely result in my ass hitting the ground with a thump!) and watch a movie that stars my son eastman!
arlynnpresser 
March 2nd, 2011 at 9:51 pm
I don’t know if I could ever delete my account, I’m taking a social media break for Lent, basically not going on Facebook or Twitter, but I don’t think I could ever give up Facebook for good, its too ingrained in how we communicate, props to your son for doing it
March 2nd, 2011 at 9:56 pm
if i weren’t doing this project, i would totally consider the idea of giving it up. and i’m starting to think there’s a certain “cool” factor in saying i’m rejecting it. my son had a lot more to say about how he objects to facebook tracking your likes and your shopiping and what words you use in your posts in order to gauge advertising possibilities. i admire him too, but i think he’ll be back. thanks adam!!!