Being married to a cellphone or I'm just a luddite

[SadieKate]

@Crankin, I don't think there's anything weird about her liking your posts even though she doesn't enjoy the activities herself. I "like" all kinds of things my FB friends post that are outside my personal experience. Photos of their paintings, links to reviews of their productions, descriptions of their quilting get-togethers, even though I neither paint nor act nor sew, e.g. I "like" that they're having fun, creating something, living the life they want.

Like.

[SadieKate]

The whole thing sounds pretty dysfunctional.... but what family isn't to some degree, at holiday time?!

Isn't it a requirement?

[Irulan]

Isn't it a requirement?

Not necessarily. It's lovely when every one has grown enough to minimize dysfunction.

[Crankin]

Sadie Kate, did you see my response to Oak's comment?
I tried to explain her behavior and why her "liking" my comments is annoying. I am pretty sure that if any of you wise women of TE were around this person, you would feel the same way.
If I were the only person who felt this way, then it would be me who has the problem. But, I am not; in fact I have had people who don't know her well ask me if "she has issues" when they have seen her in public situations, like at volunteer meetings or social situations. My other close friend, who is not athletic at all has other things that this person makes comments about, like she is an expert about what you do, but she knows nothing, really.
I know this sounds mean, but if you all heard the way she speaks to me at times, you would get it. I just can't totally break the friendship.

[SadieKate]

No, I didn't but that doesn't change the fact that one can "like" the fact that someone you have friended on FB is enjoying their own life. There are plenty of activities I wouldn't spend two minutes on but I can appreciate others finding fulfillment.

I didn't really get the gist of your friend's problems but I tend not to read responses that don't have paragraph breaks. Makes me cranky and cross-eyed.

The FB setting that allows you to block specific people from seeing or responding to your posts is WONDERFUL! And FB doesn't tell them they've been blocked. I found it after consulting the Wise TE Woman Salsa.

[SadieKate]

OK, Crankin, I read through your posts about both your "friend" and the FB settings. It seems to me that you're letting her dictate how you interact with your true friends on FB and that you let her under your skin.

Either learn to truly ignore her (easier said than done) or figure out the FB setting. I finally figured it out and it's lovely. No longer do I have to listen to this person's idiocy nor have to put up with him angling for another visit where we not only do all the cooking and dishwashing, but also entertain his girlfriend while he skis. Bliss!

Take control.

[marni]

I have a cell phone which I know how to turn on and off, send a text on and listen to voice mail. The only people who have my number are my family and a few very close friends. The phone is primarily for me to use when I am out riding and have an emergency, or to call someone in the family briefly for the exchange of needed information. For me the telephone be it cell or otherwise, has been for my convenience. I have an answering machine and caller ID and so don't always answer. People who know me know that if they leave a brief and concise message including their name and telephone number I will call them back. Many of my friends know that I am rarely home, won't answer my cell phone so they will email me knowing that I don't access email until evening.

Yes occasionally some one gets a bit miffed at not being able to instantly get in touch with me, but again, I am mostly a happy hermit and what seems death or life urgent to others, rarely is, or if it is there is nothing I can do about it anyway since I really treasure my privacy.

just me being a grumpy old lady.

marni

[zoom-zoom]

The whole thing sounds pretty dysfunctional.... but what family isn't to some degree, at holiday time?!

I always thought my family was dysfunctional...now I know that mostly we're just loud and obnoxious. The only one who's really borderline dysfunctional is my baby sister, but she's becoming less of a PITA the older she gets (though she is still astoundingly immature for a woman going on 31). My DH's family has always put on airs of superiority, but WOW, what a flippin' mess that bunch is. They need extra closet space for all their skeletons.

With my family we drink during the holidays to have fun and share laughs. With my hubby's family I wish they'd drink more so they'd stop being so danged uptight!

[Lizzz]

Agreed, it's not the technology that makes life difficult, it's ourselves. Anyway, the cellphone has become an essential part of people's lives (personally and professionally) Of course, it also lends itself to be misused or overused by some people, but that's the case with every technological good - and of course the World Wide Web as well. But the statistics on internet usage in this overview show that taken together - the people can profit from it - if they use it with reason.