Sunday, March 29, 2009

Swept Away

Aye, I have given myself up to the o'erwhelming tide and joined Facebook.

I held out until this past Thursday, when, at the board meeting of a group I'm up to my neck in, it was confirmed that our electronic newsletter was going to be abolished in favor of our group's Facebook presence.

The printed newsletter will still come out, but that's quarterly, only.

So I signed up on Friday, and blew a lot of yesterday and much of today adding my real-world friends as Facebook friends.

And doing up my profile, photos, and so on and so forth.

I'd been reluctant to join, because there you are, exposed for the world to see. I mean, what if I said or posted something awkward and a pastoral search committee saw it?

But I suppose the question answers itself. It'd be easy, sitting alone at my computer in the serene privacy of my study, to think whatever I post on Facebook (or my blogs, for that matter), is a private communication.

Not hardly. Facebook is not my diary, a phone call to a friend, or even a personal letter or email. What goes there is for all the world to see. And if I have to be careful and create a persona that I'm willing to submit for public inspection, so be it. We're not totally, wholly, marvellously, abysmally "ourselves" to anybody but God.

6 comments:

Sandy said...

Oh Kate! How exciting! I'm on Facebook, too. Look me up!

St. Blogwen said...

I would if I could, but (gulp!) I don't know how! (Without disclosing last names on da blog, I mean.)

Viola Larson said...

St Blogwen you should also get on AllWomen in the Church run by the Women's Ministry in the Presbyterian Church. Its something new they are doing. That would allow you as an orthodox woman & Pastor!--to write about Jesus Christ--you could even start a diacussion. Go to http://www.pcusa.org/allwomen/

whiskers said...

Well, I'm okay w/having my last name here, so you can BOTH look me up at Rebecca Gibson on Facebook. It's profile #673198194.

Hope to see you there!

Whiskers

Sandy said...

Well, here it is -- McIntire. I think I'm safe with you.

St. Blogwen said...

Whiskers & Sandy, since there are several people with your names and since I don't know how to search Facebook by profile number, my profile is under "Kathy Horstman" and I'm the only one from Pittsburgh. I think. Maybe it'd be easier to do it that way around!