Regaining Some Sanity

Yesterday I did something I never thought I’d do.

I walked away from FriendFeed.

I know, it’s such a small thing. It’s not like I discovered the cure for cancer or established a singing career. But there you have it. I got tired of the backbiting and egos and constant stream of passive-aggressive attacks. I used to enjoy conversing with people there. Now it makes me cringe.

It’s been suggested that I just need to step away and take a short break. I am hoping I never have to go back. I am not currently planning on going back. It’s my hope that by doing so, I’ll trick myself into not feeling the draw of that godforsaken place. I can’t even log in right now because I know I’ll get itchy fingers to comment or Like something. I don’t want that. I want a clean break.

The final straw for me was being name-called and then blocked by someone I thought I was cool with because I dared to have a bit of a spleen-venting on my own feed. A spleen-venting that was the result of being ridiculed on another thread for apparently having poor taste in literature. After being needlessly snapped at several weeks ago when trying to cheer up a bummed-out FF’er (something that I’d seen other FF’ers do countless times), I decided that this was just ridiculous. It makes no sense to invest myself into a service that just opens me up to disappointment and hurt feelings at the hands of others. I’m not thin-skinned. I absorb far more abuse than you’ll ever know. I just know my limits and I’m thinking I’ve reached mine with FriendFeed.

I wonder how long it will take for people to realize that I’m not feeding my stuff there anymore and they’ll have to actually check me out on Twitter or here to keep up? I wonder how many people actually care? I know I really don’t. I prefer my faceless audience of random IP addresses and lengthy page views without comments. I know I have regular readers, and I’m good with that.

At least now I’ll have (relatively) more time to focus on opening my brain on this site, as I found I was doing that more on FF than I was doing here. I’m like a neglectful parent who’s spent one too many nights at the local bar while her kids are at home playing with matches and watching Beavis & Butthead. SHAMEFUL.