I feel that’s the updated version of the old "If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it, does make a sound?" 

Today I am going facebook-free.  I am NOT going internet-free.  I am NOT quitting facebook, because I am determined to do something in moderation, plus facebook is too awesome for that.  I simply mean I will not be checking facebook until after I get to Kansas (next weekend). 

Why?  Well, a few things have inspired me, and I woke up this morning and realized that a facebook vacation would be helpful.  Two recent blog posts triggered this idea:

"Comparison Shopping" by Eden’s Eats was one I read yesterday that really spoke to me.  I am terribly guilty of comparing my life and myself to other people and naturally I assume that I come up lacking.  I recall when I first joined facebook I would look at other people’s pictures and see how much more fun they were having than me, or read their statuses and see how much better their careers were, or people traveling to exotic locations while I sat at home with my cat.  It doesn’t help that so many of my friends DO have wonderful fantastic lives.  And while I am {generally} happy for my REAL LIFE friends who have wonderful lives, perhaps I can’t quite bring that same feeling to my so-called "facebook" friends.  And I try.  And the thing that KILLS me is that deep down I know I actually have a pretty freaking awesome life.  Which will in no way be improved if I lose 10 more pounds.  Because then I’ll just want to lose 10 MORE pounds.  (Though I DO want to lose ten more pounds, because that would make my thighs less jiggly looking and then I would look more awesome in facebook photos for the world to see, right?)

The other blog post was the one by the Shubox for the Virtual Retreat, "Taking a Break."  She has been going through some issues and has been feeling down for some time, but still manages to do all kinds of wonderful things for herself and others (including the virtual retreat!).  This week she decided to go "unplugged" and not look at blogs, the internet, or facebook for the whole week.  She is still checking email though (when people truly go "unplugged" I do wonder how they manage with work!) of course.  I am simply taking a facebook break, blogs and twitter and such are okay for me at this time.

(Oh, just to let you know, I will still be PUBLICIZING my blog on facebook, because that is different than being ON facebook or obsessively checking to see if anybody commented on my status update or photos.  I get most of my readers through facebook links and since I am not taking a blog vacation, I will continue to do that.  It’s not a double standard.  I am nothing if not practical.)

Okay, I just spent 5 minutes doing a google image search, and this the best I have for you this morning:

So for this week, my life will not be posted on the internet.  Okay, sure I’m cheating a little, as I have a blog and a twitter (come follow me @hannahviolin) but STILL.  Really it’s more that I won’t be reading about YOUR life anymore.  And then when I return, well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Maybe I’ll do a texting vacation next.  (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  No seriously that’s another problem I have.)