Faking it in Pictures

Why are we so afraid to let people know that we don't have it all together? I'm a Facebook stalker, and don't judge, you probably are too. I mean, really, who hasn't accepted a friend that you were unsure of just to check out their pictures and not thought, "Oh my God, they've lost all their hair since high school (gained weight, look better, nice looking spouse, etc.)" I'm 100% sure I'm not the only one that's had these thoughts. But it's the very fear of these thoughts that Facebookers go out of their way to make everyone believe their life is about as perfect as you can get. You see the perfect poses, beautiful smiles, light hitting your hair just right so you look amazing. Who is going to post that bad picture? You don't want anyone seeing that. And, that's completely acceptable and understanding.

But here's the underlying problem with "faking it in pictures" as I call it: it makes people feel like crap. Is that your problem? Probably not, people are going to feel like crap no matter what. But I want to connect with that real person. The person who isn't afraid to say, "my life is a mess right now," or "I don't have it all-together, but I'm trying the best I can."

I have two major aversions in life: 1) dishonesty/liars 2)hypocrisy.

Funny thing is that these two are extremely related. Isn't hypocrisy (saying one thing and doing another) a form of being dishonest?

Let me make myself clear however: I do LOVE reading my friends updates on the good things going on in their life: baby's being born, weddings, doing well in school, the long-awaited vacation, a new car/house, new pets, daily frustrations that I may be able to offer support in, etc. What grates on my nerves is the blatant, "look at me, look at me" updates and photos. And you know these people. And just a little confession, I've been this person too.

I know writing all this is going to make every single person who reads it wonder if I'm talking about them. I'm not talking about any one person. It's just a general observation.

But as I type and think, I believe that the flashy photos and attention grabbing updates are absolutely no different than my blogging. After all, I want you to read and must confess that I know more than the three people who "follow" my blog read this, but I do get sad whenever I see I still only have three followers. So, at the end of the day maybe I'm just jealous and want attention too. Hmmm, something to reflect on further for myself.

Weird post tonight, I know. So, to all my dear friends (and I wouldn't have you as a friend if you didn't mean something to me at some point in my life), keep the photos and updates coming. For the most part, I LOVE reading them...just don't feel like you have to fake your life to impress others. A little humility makes people love you alot more. Humans yearn for connections and relationships. And, we can't do that with the people that make us feel they are way out of our league.