Sunday 8 April 2012

Nice Legs, Shame about the Facebook.....

I'm giving this "Blogging" lark a bash, after 2 years of waffling away on Facebook , and having become increasingly disillusioned on that particular forum with the fact that people seem not to want to read anything that is longer than one sentence. Before I started to use Facebook ( Note the Drug terminology..."Use"....Suitable for anything addictive...) ....Anyway, before I started to use Facebook , I used to slag it off as only being for teenage girlies , or for those who wanted to tell others what they's had for Dinner. I really didn't get it....."WHY Oh Why do people want to share the dull details of their everyday existence with other People" wrote Confused of Swanage.
And then I stupidly went and had a Nervous Breakdown , which I decided to follow up with 2 years of Clinical Depression , and a long period where I was unable to work. There is only so much "Cash In The Attic" a man can watch before he looks for other ways to fill his days. Especially when much of his day is spent slumped in a corner of the lounge in a soporific state , with his ability to interract  successfully with his fellow Humans being seriously compromised by his Mental Health problems. So I turned to Dr. Facebook.
This also coincided with a discovery of The Camera. I've always been a keen walker, but my Depression took away the ability to actually enjoy this pastime. I carried on doing it , as even through the swirling mists of my addled mind, I knew that I had to push myself to keep doing something active , and I found that if I carried a camera, it gave the walk at least some sense of purpose. I also found that if I then posted these photos on Facebook, people seemed to like them.  I wasn't feeling particularly fortunate, but I could see that from other people's perspective , I was lucky enough to have the time and energy to walk and kayak in some beautiful places that were denied to the "Working Population." , so people were able to share some of Dorset's beauty through my lens.
I've always held quite strong Political views . I aired many of these on the pages of Facebook . People didn't always agree with these , but I did manage to at least stimulate some lively discussion, particularly around the time of the General Election. I also tried to develop several "Running Themes" , with topics such as Cheryl Cole, Harry Redknapp , and The Conservative Party . Without wishing to sound too pretentious , I saw my Facebook Page as a kind of Magazine, and attempted to avoid the whole " Today I had Egg & Chips " thing , that had originally filled me with such dread.
I also regularly commented on my ongoing struggle with Depression . As a Psychiatric Nurse myself, I am very keen to do my bit to try and break down some of the stigma attached to Mental Health issues, and have no problem with being very open about my own problems. I am very aware that this is not for everyone , and I could sense that not everyone felt comfortable with commenting on my Posts on this subject.
My affair with Facebook has always been a Love/Hate one. I possibly have an Addictive Personality. I gave up Drinking 20 years ago due to the fact that if I had One Pint ,  I would then need to have 8 or 9 more. So I stopped altogether. And Facebook has been much the same. Possibly due to having time on my hands, and struggling to involve myself in "Normal Social Situations" , it was all to easy to live life through the pages of Facebook , and I have over-indulged.
There have been many Positives. It has allowed me to express myself at a time when my thoughts may otherwise have been bottled up , and much of this unloading has been very cathartic. I have also become "Friends" with some lovely, interesting folk that I wouldn't have met , and also developed closer understanding of People that I thought I already knew well , but didn't.
So......Time to move on. I have tried several times to escape from Facebook World. I've dug tunnels underneath Wooden Horses , ridden pillion on Steve McQueen's Motorbike as he jumped the fence , and even just de-activated my Account. But crawled back every time with my tail between my legs.......So, I'm not going to say it's all over between us, but I shall be trying to see a little less of her , and to see how we go from there......

8 comments:

  1. I hope you will just keep writing...it doesn't matter where. Whatever personal opinions on any subject we may hold as individuals, it's often good to discover and consider other peoples' ideas. I reckon it would be a boring world if everyone was exactly the same. There would be nothing to discuss - all that would be left would be the 'what we had for dinner' thing!

    It can also be educational to hear or read about other peoples' thoughts and experiences. Just as some claim to have a migraine every time they get a slight headache, so others say they are depressed when they are having a bit of a rubbish day. I think this is probably because they've never experienced the real thing and maybe, just maybe, by joining a discussion, they will come to understand, at least to some extent, something they did not know.

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  2. Thanks Linda....Much appreciated. I think I shall enjoy this....!!

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    1. Heck! I almost panicked when I realised the 'Like' button is missing. Do you think that means I have a problem with adapting to something non-Facebook?

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  3. As Linda will vouch (without fear of an immediate nose extension) I am not one for reading nor writing lengthy sentences, preferring instead to retain ownership rights on myself and my views wherever possible; only rarely creeping out of the protective layer of the Facebook 'private inbox' system to wrap the odd knuckle or two in public should I feel incensed to do so by foul language, screamingly poor use of the English language or a mix of the two (Which has oft times led to a most public display of reactive anger and the use of as many four lettered words as the reactor can string together in a singular 'gota stick up 4meself wotever' outburst)
    I feel an exception must be made here and so I will say 'in public' and on my very first venture into a 'blog' Consider your knuckles well wrapped Mr Wells, for my own overly regular Facebook visits will be sorely lacking without you :(

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    1. Aha! Beware the Miss J 'Look!' Even in print it is capable of shriveling the most brazen smart-ass to a whimpering wussy... :)

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  4. In creative writing classes I always tell my students the best way to learn to write is to write. Generally, the more you write the better you get. So here's to you and your outpourings. And I hope we get some of your poetry as well.

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  5. I fully understand your love hate relationship with FB. I started using it years ago (when? I cant say) when a guy at work said 'hey, there's this new thing....'. At the same time I also put lots of input into a Swanage website thing, run by a local guy. We had fun. Didnt seem to be any input from many locals, but loads of slagging off on the 'town' blog, which is still running.
    I made friends through the site, we have met up, and still chat when we meet in the street and on the Swanage group on facebook. It has replaced a site that was constantly under cyber attack and cost money to run. FB takes that away..
    I use FB to post pictures (like you I am camera 'mad' (is that the right diagnosis?)and love to snap away. I post them, some people say 'Nice' and I feel happy.
    I make things. Silly stuff and serious stuff and I am good at it.If no one tells you it is good, there is no point. Ever try sightseeing on your own? You need someone to say 'Christ thats amazing!' to, otherwise it is pointless.
    Point is, all this stuff is what you make out of it. I think your photo's are great, I love Swanage and the suurounding area, and you have shown me different views of places I see all the time. You have opened up 'a new world' to me and I am sure loads more people. Nothing wrong in that. Sharing things you do with people is what life is about. Enjoy it. Revel in it. Flaunt it. There must be hundreds of people out there that wish they could do what you do in your kayak, with what appears to be great ease.
    If you stop, I for one will miss your offerings.

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  6. I think your photos are great too....just as 'the best way to learn to write is to write'...the best way to progress in photography is to keep snapping..

    ........and the truth is you're getting good at it.

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