"Hi, its nice to meet you. So, what do you do?"

"what do you do?" is my least favorite question to be asked at any time. as if you are defined by what you do. sure, when you first meet someone you want to show interest and learn about them. it is a common courtesy. but to start by answering such a question that will define who you are in that person's eyes from that time forth....Really?? who even wants to go there??

my favorite response to this question ("Whatever I want") is also a quote from my sister :) sure, it may sound like a cop out, but it takes people by surprise when you don't respond with "I'm a student" or "I work" or "I work and go to school." why don't we start with "how has your week been?" or "so, how is your life so far?" ok, maybe that's a little too encompassing. but still, you get my point.

Early to rise, early to bed, makes a man healthy, but socially dead

ok so I don't usually go to bed early, but I like the saying. it is one of my goals to get to bed earlier...still working on that one. BUT, what I really want to talk about is the fact that I may have just committed social suicide. how, you may ask? I deactivated my Facebook account.

for the past year and a half I have not been in school. for the last 9 months or so I have been moving/traveling to different places...long enough to meet people, but not long enough to have actual friendships. I have relied on Facebook for updates, event invitations, etc.

I am not completely against Facebook...it serves purposes of networking and swapping photos, both of which I enjoy. but I have also seen it as a cop out (like guys asking girls to be their Facebook friend instead of asking for her number...lame!) people don't know how to communicate anymore.

say, for example a time when a group was getting together to play Ultimate Frisbee and only 2 or 3 people showed up, including the person who organized the event. said person who planned event was perplexed as to why nobody had showed, since he/she had invited something like 50 people...using Facebook. ummm....Facebook isn't real. get real. call people. invite them face-to-face, or even via text message!

it reminds me of an IT Crowd episode where Moss starts a fire in the office with his sautering iron, and can't remember the number to the emergency services...so he sends an e-mail for help. probably not the most effective form of communication for that scenario.

am I limiting myself by eliminating Facebook from my life? maybe...but now I am more motivated to actually go out and meet people, talk to them, and develop communication skills! Having one true real friend is better than having three hundred some-odd virtual friends.