Where Did the Fun Go?

Good Gawd! Where is everyone these days? In the last week I have checked into Facebook a few times only to see a mere handful of my friends online. Most of what rolls through my News Feed are promotions for events and subjects I am interested in. But, where are the clever daily remarks from some of my wittiest friends that once made signing-on to the social network akin to a little party? Has everyone gone on vacation at the same time?

It isn’t a massive Google + exodus, either. Very little repartee of interest is happening over there as well. Are we simply busy living our real life lives for a change after the initial charm of FB’ing has begun to lose its punch?

Could it be that people are growing tired of being asked to donate money to every single charity or project of another FB friend? I know that lately most of what I’m seeing are requests for financial aid – many to extremely worthwhile causes, I’ll admit, but I never signed-on to Facebook to be hit up for money. If I choose to help one charity or cause over another, it inevitably irks or hurts the feelings of those to whom I didn’t offer my financial support.

And, to be frank, I’m doing fine, but am on a budget and my finances must go to my own charity = me, or else I will be no more.

Asking people to “Like” your project/status or “Share”  is one thing; but this recent trend of money-pumping is beginning to turn me off to what was once a pleasant daily experience of checking into my virtual Hood to share a few comments and learn whazzup with friends I don’t see on a regular basis or have lost real life contact beyond Internet-based communications through either geographical distance or a shift in social/career priorities over the years.

Now I have to sidestep requests to repost someone’s status to prove I either read them or agree with their cause. If not that, then please send money to this charity or that. Hey, when I beg for money it’s in private, ya know? Or in a closed business setting. But that's me. And when I post any of my blogs on my Wall, it is for sharing only. Not for the number of hits to this site. I am not making money on this blog. Often my posts are in lieu of writing a Status Report.

Am I being too harsh against those with worthy causes and caring ideals? Am I to hang my head in shame for bringing this up in a blog post? I don’t think so. This is, as I often remind, a Flog Blog, which means if something’s not feeling right from my perspective I’ll take the old Flogging Whip to it, if for nothing else than to bring attention to issues that I know many people are grousing about, but only in private, yet wish someone like me would bring to light.

So, I’ve done it. Written my frustration. I have to censor myself enough as it is to not hurt the feelings of people I care for in my life by not flogging issues and attitudes that are their reason for living. Now I risk either irking or hurting those who have been kind to me yet are the very ones requesting their FB friends to contribute to various causes. But, if they are truly people who care about free speech, then I would hope they will understand my frustration with almost nothing on my FB News Feed of late that hasn’t been a pitch of one sort or another.

For now, I gotta admit I’m all pitched-out. It’s been as if I opened a closet door and nothing but financial requests have tumbled down upon my head, burying me in unwanted paper.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not cheap or known to be a Scrooge. Just the opposite, which is why I’m now on a budget. Hah!