Honey I shrank my world

Getting out of Facebook is a slightly complicated process. You can either deactivate your account (with the option to go back any time) or permanently delete your account - an option I could only find via Google. Like a proper divorce, it comes with a waiting period of 14 days.

If you go for deactivation, Facebook knows you're not 100% serious. That's why they use emotional extortion as seen above. They tell you that the last five people you've messaged through Facebook will miss you. Then they present a counter argument for every conceivable argument you could possibly have for leaving. I suspect these options are based on thorough research and I especially love "I don't understand how to use Facebook". It has so many levels :)

After investigating the 'deactivate' path, I went with deleting. The funny thing is that when you bravely click 'delete', nobody argues with you at all. They don't care why you're leaving. I guess if you're determined enough to "self destruct" like that, you're beyond convincing. Although I should probably expect some digital stalking during the next 14 days. Divorces are messy business, right?

The Shrinking World Phenomenon

Right after deleting the account, I left for a Pilates class. On the way there, I had a weird sensation of my whole world shrinking. All the invisible strings I had cast everywhere around the globe were suddenly pulled back and I was enclosed in my immediate reality, completely present in that car, on Links road, passing the golf course and stopping at the intersection. For a moment, I had a feeling of being just washed up on a desert island. Nobody knows I'm right here, I thought to myself. It made no sense. When I was on Facebook, I never updated about my daily activities like that. Towards the end, I hardly shared anything. My latest profile pic was nearly two years old. But things don't have to make sense to be profoundly felt. Maybe there's something we're sharing of ourselves by just being there. Maybe my soul was so deeply distracted, my focus split into million pieces over time, that it needed to be reeled in.

Here I am, right here, hungry, sweaty and tired in my tiny little world. It's so cosy. Like camping in your own head.

Away from Facebook, back to blogging

The time has come for myself and Facebook to part ways. We had a good run of nearly 8 years. Now I feel like I have wasted enough of my time and energy on communicating via snappy one-liners, tortured puns and accidental insults. I'm exhausted. I'm getting old. I need real communication with fewer people who I actually have a chance of knowing. I also need more time for creative writing, painting and playing with my son - oh, and my husband :)

This post is for those on Facebook who do know me. This is where I will be, occasionally, to update on whatever I find interesting. There is no umbrella, no genre or topic. It may not be what's 'trending' on Facebook, now that I get to decide :) I've had this blog since 2006 and I know - it's in Finnish. If that's not your cup of tea, don't worry. I promise to write in English too. I actually find it easier now, which is a little worrying.

The only way I can sort of delete my Facebook account and keep business pages running is to remove ALL friends and information and maybe change my account name. So please don't take this personally.

I'm really excited to see how this change will affect my life and aim to keep you updated... I've done my research and it seems there is a chance I will be considered 'suspicious'. Apparently, only mass murderers don't have Facebook accounts. Well, let's change that. There is a chance I will miss out. There is a chance people will think I'm dead. It's a chance I'm willing to take.