Facebook

Facebook thinks it knows me oh-so-well. Some advanced software program obviously finds things in my profile and tailors the ads on the sidebar to my preferences. I'll see ads for bikes and cycling gear, swimming diets, music, singing lessons...but my all-time favorite is the one that says "29 and Alone again?".

This summer, during a moment of silly vacation relaxation, Maureen, our friend Jean and I thought it would be funny to create a Facebook account for Jean's cat, Byzwaden. When we visited them in Maine last year, Byzwaden fell madly in love with me and followed me around the house. So, in a fit of laughter, we posted that Byzwaden and I were in a relationship. I figured that people would see he was a cat...and think it was funny. Well, apparently his kitty face on the profile pic was not big enough, and seeing that I was in a relationship with Byzwaden Nowak...some of my friends thought I had found some crazy Polish/Eastern European guy to be my boyfriend. Everyone kept asking me how to say his name (it's actually a nonsense word made up by Jean's friend). Anyway, when I "broke up" with Byz on Facebook, I started getting these ads on the side saying "29 and Alone again?", and "Was it your fault that he left?". I mean seriously...does Facebook think I tell it everything? What does Facebook know about my dating life? There is no option on Facebook that says "dating"...just Single, In a Relationship, Engaged, or Married. So....I choose Single. But Facebook chooses to portray me as some washed-up 29 (almost 30) year old who does everything wrong when trying to "keep" a man. What if I had broken up with him...and I had done nothing wrong?

Anyway, a few weeks ago my pastor made the statement that Facebook requires us to maintain an image that we present to the world...whatever image it is that we are trying to maintain. I get annoyed by people who post passive-aggressive statements as their status...exactly what are they trying to tell people? I do find that I'm trying to maintain an image on Facebook...and I'd like to try and move on from that. I'll just try to be honest from now on. And not post that I'm in a relationship with a cat. :)