Facebook: The end of writing?

I used to have a Livejournal, well, I still do, I just haven't posted to it in a long long time. I'm not sure exactly the last time but I'm guessing a year and a half, maybe two years? It got me thinking about how I used to write my entire life down, or type it on the screen, I suppose. Most of the time I wrote about my mundane day to day activities like cereal for breakfast followed by an unusually long nap for James. Boring was interspersed with more interesting entries like when I first met John or when I broke up with a long time friend because he was a two-faced big mouth. As you can tell, I've had a blog for a long while - nearly 10 years.

My Livejournal started out as something fun, something I wasn't willing to use as an outlet for every emotion I was feeling. I didn't get into it with the intent to write about life changing experiences, stupid things I did from ages 21 to 25, break up with ex, months of writing about why I hated said ex, new relationship with John, childbirth, you get the idea. But I found that writing everything about myself and any experience I happened to have was fun, fulfilling, cathartic, and best of all, permanent. Forever and ever, until the end of time, or the Internet as we know it, I can log on to Livejournal and remember what I was doing on any particular day starting from the age of 21. I'm sure there are things I'd like to forget. Rephrase that, I KNOW there are things I'd like to forget but every experience, whether good or bad, molds you into the person you are today, right?

At any rate, Livejournal posts started dropping off as Myspace (barf!) became more popular and soon I was being strong armed into getting a Facebook account because, oh my god, you can find the girl you sat next to in 2nd grade.

You see, I have a love hate relationship with Facebook. I admit it, it's mostly love but there is a seedling of hate that lies just under the thick velvety blanket of Facebook love.

Here is why I love Facebook: Spying. I am a snoop to the very core. I love to know what people are doing without actually talking to them. It's more fun if it's people who are not one of your friends and you possibly, just maybe, loathed them in school. You see that they gained 50 lbs and 3 husbands. It's like sweet sweet victory.

It's good to reconnect with friends too. I will admit there are plenty of people I thought about in the past 10-12 years and wondered what ever happened to them. In the past, without attending one of those dreaded high school reunions, you may have never known. But through the miracle of technology, you can now find out what so and so's kids are learning in school and what she's about to cook for dinner.

I love the fun little few sentence updates. It's quick, it's easy, it doesn't upset James too greatly when I stop in the bedroom every so often to see if there are any new updates and to make one myself. Ok, so it's addicting. Facebook is like cocaine except way cheaper. (Side note: I have never done cocaine)

But here is where the hate comes from:

What the hell happened to me writing paragraphs upon paragraphs about myself and my experiences? And maybe I want to know more about the casserole you're cooking for dinner not just simply, "makin' a casserole". I crave elaboration, a romantic backdrop, the details of your child and their on-going potty training.

Long story short: I'm giving it another go. Blogspot, blogger, whatever you are, you are my saving grace.