Excerpted from upcoming The Cynglish Beat by Tim Reynolds from Cometcatcher Press.
Online social media has removed our privacy on so many levels, but this is the one that disturbs me the most.
NO SOLITUDE IN THE ETHER, EITHER
She found her way to Facebook,
All confused innocence and cautious half-smiles.
Her friends suggested it, recommended it, put forth the idea.
Without a clue, she bit. “I can do that. What do I do?”
It was just two years ago when she had dial-up, an answering machine and saved margarine tubs for reuse — ten years down the road.
Now she’s got high-speed WiFi, enhanced voicemail…
…and a cupboard full of margarine tubs.
She has established herself in the ether and found her way to Facebook.
My seventy-two-year-old mother is on Facebook.
Am I wrong to want a place in the ether without maternal mischief?
My mother is on Facebook.
Wrinkly-Face-book,
Exasperated-Face-book,
Disapproving-You’re-Not Wearing-That-Shirt-With-Those-Pants-Out-Of-This-House-Face-book.
Am I a bad son for ignoring her request to be her Facebook ‘friend’?
Is there a special place in hell for me?
Will she be able to find me there, too?
~
Ciao for now,
Tim.
Blog contents copyright Tim Reynolds 2010.
The Tao of Tim 
No worries Tim, my mother was not the problem as my sister post porn related jokes and e-mails them to all the family. But it’s my mother in law I had to dump off facebook. Complaining about my status updates, thinking some one would rob my house when I am out of town, or kidnap my son because his photos are on there. etc etc LOL
Tanya