How I'm Feeling About Facebook Lately

The internet has been a hazardous place as of late. Especially on Facebook. With the looming election, paired with recent world events and football season, Facebook has gone from this:

To this:

I always wonder what I'll stumble across each morning when I open my internet browser. Will I be smacked in the face with some crazy right-wing conspiracy theory, complete with hate speech and illustrations? Or will I (finally) be greeted with the things I WANT to know about...i.e. who's at the grocery store/which friend's kid won their soccer game/who found a Doctor Who collectible on eBay.

In years past, when the internet turns hostile, Brian and I have been known to "take a Facebook break." We disable or delete our accounts, living a blissful, quiet life, free from armchair politics and the web-wide Whiny Wanda. (Because everybody has a friend like that, am I right?)

Believe me when I say my finger has hovered over the "Obliterate Your Facebook Account Here" button several times over the last few weeks.

But I can't seem to make myself pull the trigger this time. Maybe it's because I don't want to go to the trouble of recreating my account in a month when I start going through withdrawals. Maybe it's because Brian is gone a lot, and Facebook is my tangible connection to the outside world. Maybe it's because I would miss seeing the daily posts from Jenna about my godkids. 

However, if I'm honest with you about why I haven't just quit Facebook this time, it comes down to a simple answer.

It's because Facebook created the ultimate answer when they came up with the "Show in News Feed" feature. I can be friends with you on Facebook all day long, but if I don't want to read all of your rants, I can simply choose to take you out of my personal timeline. You're nary the wiser, and my page is filled with the updates I'm most interested in. 

FINALLY! I can create a timeline that will greet me with unicorns and rainbows instead of gremlins and thunderheads!! I get plenty of pleasure out of making use of that little feature.


You posted something extremely offensive? HIDE FROM TIMELINE!

You continually post political statements that border on hate speech? HIDE FROM TIMELINE!

You complain about everything in your life to the point of exhaustion? HIDE FROM TIMELINE!



I feel like Shera with He-man's catch phrase.

I'm sure at some point I'll revisit those I've hidden and consider allowing them back into the lovely meadow of wildflowers that is my Facebook timeline. (Perhaps after the election is over?) But for now, I'm employing my own brand of The Timeline Police. And it's working!

Of course, I could always just use my husband's answer for Facebook nonsense and post this whenever someone annoys me (Warning: Foul Language Ahead:)

Source

Funny, colorful, and right to the point. But, I think I'm going to stick to my game plan. It's reversible, it's comfortable, and it's keeping Facebook much more warm and fuzzy. HEY! It's Facebook's version of the Snuggie! And who knows, maybe one day, the internet will return to being a (mostly) kind place to visit. But for now, I'm gonna stick to my guns and wrap my little piece of the internet in the warm flannel of choice. Thank you, Facebook, for giving me the option to be the passive-aggressive peace keeper of my own page.

My Relationship with Creativity

Creativity. On my list of "Abby's best traits," Creativity is Numero Uno. I've always considered myself to be a creative person. It's a major part of who I am: as a person, and especially as a writer. Without Creativity, Abby Gabs wouldn't be what it is today. Every single blog I've ever published came from a spark of Creativity...whether it was a silly blog, a serious blog, a video blog, or an illustrated blog. Every single one came from my pal, Creativity.

Creativity isn't just something you pick up along the way. It's not really something you can learn, or even something that can be taught. I truly believe that those who are creative are born that way. There's something in them begging to be released, and whether it's through music, or art, or poetry, or dance, or humorous blogs fueled by Photoshop, those creative people find their outlet and learn to shine.


Truth is, Creativity and I go WAAAAAY back.

As a child, Creativity was with me in just about every facet of my life. My imagination was so rich, you would have been hard-pressed to convince me that I wasn't Shera, Princess of Power. My ruffled blouse was really armor gleaming in the sunlight. My plastic yellow sword quivered with magical properties. And the back porch was a realm of possibilities and adventure.


It wasn't just a game to pass a rainy Tuesday afternoon. For me, it was as real as playing with a puppy in the floor of my living room, or learning to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from my Mom, or tossing water balloons with my brother. In those moments of Creativity, I experienced what it was to be a super hero. I was a dancer on Broadway, a detective on the hunt for the truth, an acrobat in the circus, and a backup singer for the New Kids on the Block.


I carried that predilection for imagination into my adult life. I've never been afraid to put myself out there, silly or not. And my Creativity has carried me each time I sat down in front of my computer to write a blog.

When something like Creativity is such an important part of your daily life, its absence can be somewhat unsettling. It's a rare occasion when my imagination is stunted, or blocked, or otherwise compromised. And when I'm unable to turn to my creative outlet for comfort, I feel incomplete. Ideas pile up in the corners of my brain and begin to collect dust. My light shines just a little less bright. And Creativity goes on the back burner.

There can be any number of reasons why Creativity and I go our separate ways: stress, anger, confusion, laziness, distraction. Life can get in the way. Sometimes I don't even see it happening to myself. It takes a pointed question from someone in my life to hold a mirror up for me to see what's happening in the land of Creativity.


And yesterday, my husband was the Holder of the Mirror.


When I said to him that I was thinking of taking a break from Abby Gabs, or maybe even quitting all together, his response was a loud and resounding, "WHY?" And in his infinite wisdom he said to me, "Abby, there's nothing so important that it should take you away from your own Creativity. It's part of who you are, and part of what I love about you. And NOTHING is so important that it should take creativity out of your life."


And so I sat down in front of my computer today, and I closed my eyes, and focused. I called out to Creativity and woke him from a deep slumber. And I channeled my inner child and drew a portrait depicting how Creativity and I have rekindled our relationship.

And it hit me. Baby...I'm back. 


**This post is dedicated to Brian: for being my solid-as-a-rock foundation, my soft place to land, my constant cheerleader, and above all else, my very best friend. Thanks for the encouragement, babe. You rock.

A Post for Brian, Part Deux

When the hubs read yesterday's post, not only was he rejuvenated with a new feeling of awesomeness, he was also mightily pleased with himself as Superman.


B: You should do a WHOLE blog where you make me different comic book heroes.
A: You think?
B: Yea! Spiderman, Aquaman, Captain America, Optimus Prime....it would be AWESOME!


And so, that's exactly what I did for today's post. Sort of.


My Husband as Various "Heroes"

Batman. Because tool belts are sexy.

Jean Luc Picard. Ha.

Neo wasn't a comic book  hero, but he was "The One."

Can't....stop....laughing.......Harry Potter!

 And lastly, because I was feeling left out:

Wait...weren't they twins? This could be construed as weird.

God, I love Photoshop.