Fb: what's on your mind ....
Me : face book, we need to talk.
Fb: Look, your friend just said something about the stupid ban on a great documentary in India. Do you want to say something about that ?
Me: err No ... Listen, its ...
Fb: would you like to tell him you agree? Just say 'like' and he'll understand.
Me : no, i haven't seen it, the documentary I mean.
Fb: why would that be a problem? Look 5 of your friends already agree with his thoughts.
Me: (looking at the names) not sure if any of them would ever watch such a thing but listen. Its not about that. I need to talk to you ... About what I think.
Fb : your friend just posted a picture of a party and says she had great fun with 3 others of your common friends.
Me: good for them. Listen , we used to have these exchanges when I told you what I thought of life.
Fb: another one of your friends liked that picture of the party. You have to like it otherwise she'll think you are jealous.
Me : no, I'm not jealous. I'm sure I was having a good time with my family while they were out.
Fb: all of your common friends either liked it or said they are sorry to have missed it. Don't you wonder why you weren't invited?
Me: I know who I want to hang out with and I don't need to publicise when I'm having a good time... With family or friends.
Fb: look how happy that family is vacationing at that exotic location. Do you want to tell them they are the bestest of families ?
Me: no. All families are best for themselves and therefore no family gets to be "bestest" ...
Fb : but one of your other friends thinks this family is the best.
Me: In fact I know she says that to every family pic she sees. That right there is an example of degrading both the language and your judgement when you apply superlatives to every thing that you see. That's kind of what I want to talk about....
Fb: you should like the pic. Otherwise they would think you were ...
Me : jealous ?
Fb: yes.
Me: as I said, I don't honestly believe there is anything extraordinary about that picture or family. I can only be glad for them having fun but thats it. Enough about others. I need to tell you what i think about life and ....
Fb: another one of your friend has shared a video and says "dat iz da kewlest trix seen in mah whole lyf". Like it ?
Me: please Fb. Remove him from my friend list. Or at least don't tell me when he posts stuff. I didn't go through all those years of education, write all those exams treating mah language wid da utmost ov ...... Oh my God. See what he has done? What YOU have done to my language?
Fb: you are over reacting. None of his friends seem to mind. In fact they always like his comments. Maybe its all right to spell that way. May be its all right if you get his drift.
Me: it might be fashionable for a generation which thinks its "cool" or "hot" or ... whatever is the right temperature to be these days... Language has a certain beauty and art to it, when used the right way. I can't participate in publicly raping it just because someone thinks it is ok to do so. And I'll wait till their children start failing in class for their inheritance of bad spelling and grammar. For now, I will chose to avoid reading such garbage.
Fb: What you need is to pay heed to this witty line from your friend. She says ' Don't take life too seriously. You'll never get out of it alive' ! Nice, isn't it ? Like it !
Me : But that isn't her line.
Fb : So?
Me: She should have mentioned its a quote! She can't pretend she came up with that all on her own.
Fb: Don't you get it ? YOU are taking life too seriously. That's why you are objecting to such frivolous things. Just like it and move on.
Me : Maybe I am. Maybe its just a little thumbs up with a mouse click that no one cares about. But what about my better judgement ? Where do I get to practise it ? I didn't ask to read poorly edited, wrongly spelt, misquoted or even incorrectly quoted excerpts. Why should I promote those who do it ?
Fb: "Reality is an Acquired taste" - Robert Fritz
Me : Now that's just.... Actually that's a great line. I agree with it. I Like it. Who posted that ?
Fb: Who cares ?
Me: I for one do appreciate it. That's a great example of dense thinking expressed in so few words and I appreciate people with intellect, willing to put an effort to subtleties and assign credit where its due.
Fb: As your friend says "Judging person doesn't define them It defines us so I never judge people for what they say or do its only reflection what ...." See more ? Like ? Comment ?
Me: Yes I do judge people. Yes I do believe that says more about me than the people whom I judge. But I can't like that or even care to read more of that.
Fb: And what's your excuse this time ? You like intellectuals and the thinking kinds don't you ?
Me: I agree with the thought there but he too has butchered someone else's quote and stabbed it to death with poor grammar. The way it is worded, its almost a contradiction. Coming from him, it comes across more as a thinly veiled attempt to present a 'holier than thou' attitude to rest of the world. Although I know he didn't mean it that way.
Fb : So like it ?
Me: No. That means I'll avoid reading any more of his posts so I do not misconstrue his intentions.
Fb: ohhhhhh such a cute little baby holding her dad's finger. Like it! Your friend just posted it and there are already 12 likes. Quick or yours will be lost in the hump-of-the-camel "like" zone.
Me : what the ?? And by the way all babies look like little monkeys that close to birth. Mine did too.
Fb: ... And didn't he like the picture you posted then ? All of your friends liked it.
Me: but that's because .... (Deep sigh)
(Typing on Fb) Congrats to the lucky parents. Hope all is fine with mother and baby. She's so cute (smiley face) !!!
Fb: So. What's on your mind today ?
Me: Oh, never mind. It's too complicated for you. I'll talk to my blog. Let us stick to sharing cute pics and funny videos.
