OK...It's decision time, facebook friends. I recently received a friend request from a younger sister of an ex-boyfriend. I LOVED this family like they were my own, but haven't really kept in touch for a couple of reasons. The obvious is that they are in VA and I am in AL. Another is that they are super religious. I am totally fine with that, but (clearly), I have moved away from organized religion over the past 9 years. I still believe in God, but have no problem admitting I don't believe he has anything to do with our day to day lives. This is a whole other blog that I would love to write... Anyway- basically, I have become a critically-thinking, gay-loving, equal-rights-supporting, stinking hippie. This would no doubt be a huge disappointment to them. I would love to reconnect with this family, but I'm starting to feel a more and more suffocated on facebook, to the point where I don't feel I can be myself. I'm afraid of who I'll offend, who will judge me, etc. Does anyone have any wisdom they'd like to share regarding this situation? I'm not sure how to deal with this friend request and the others I've been getting. If you're my friend on facebook then you need to/already know a few things:
1. I like to curse. I have the ability to express myself without using the word fuck, but sometimes I just don't want to. Perhaps I was originally adopted from a family of sailors. Regardless, that is who I am. I don't cuss around the kids (well, I do my best), but guess what? They can't read and they're not on facebook. If you are easily offended by grown up (and even occasional vulgar) words, then maybe I'm not the right friend for you.
2. Like I said before, I support human rights. If you are homophobic, racist, or do not believe that all people should have equal rights, then there's a good chance I have already deleted you. If you are a new friend, look out. I can agree to disagree on a lot of topics (religion, politics, etc.), but I don't think there's any room to give if you don't believe all people are equal. That is definitely a deal-breaker for me.
3. I'm not always right, but I always have an opinion. It doesn't take 11 years of higher education to be able to think for yourself, fact check, and use common sense, but 11 years just happens to be what I'm working with. I am highly annoyed (ok, let's face it, I'm down right enraged) by people who blindly follow, believe, and repeat completely preposterous and fact-less information. If you believe the ignorant bullshit spewed by Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, or you support Michelle Bachmann, or you thought for 30 seconds that Sarah Palin was in ANY way fit to run our country, then I am probably going to have words with you at some point. Like I said before, I do have friends with opposing views on religion and politics, but I have also deleted people who post racist remarks about our President. Just because your pastor told you something, or your buddy who heard it on right-wing radio, it doesn't make it true. I digress.
The family of my friend-requester is ULTRA-conservative and mostly likely against everything I stand for (she's still young- maybe 13-14?). This doesn't mean that I don't still love them, but I am just at a loss. Suggestions are welcomed...
