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I wrote and posted this on facebook sometime in May. I think blogsville people would love it. Enjoy
I logged on to Facebook today, and the first question I was asked was “What’s on your mind?”
I then wonder, “What exactly do you want to do with the information on my mind?”
What if I were honest…
What if I told you I had been thinking about the latest punches and kicks I received from my husband? Then what would be on your mind about me? Is it “And they look like such a perfect couple.”
What if I told you I have been thinking about how after 33 years of singleness, no man is even looking my way, sending me to tears every night? Then what would be on your mind about me? Is it “Upon how fine she is? She must have a bad attitude.”
What if I told you I have been thinking about how my flashy lifestyle has gotten me into heavy loan debts with banks? Then what would be on your mind about me? “And I was envying him, thinking he is a big boy.”
What if I told you I have been thinking of breaking up with my boyfriend of 5 years, cos he was just a frog that would never turn into a prince, no matter the number of kisses (and sex)? Then what would be on your mind about me? Is it “And I thought she had the best BF in the world.”
What if I told I have been thinking about how the stigma of been gang-raped 7 years ago has not afforded me the opportunity to move on? Then what would be on your mind about me? Is it “You self, how did you get yourself into that situation?”
What is I told you have been thinking about how God is good, the best thing that ever happened to me, my best friend, etc? Then what would be on your mind about me? Is it “All this religious hypocrites, always making themselves look holy on the internet.”
What if I told you I have been thinking about how I have not had a job for two years, can’t provide my family, and my wife is the current breadwinner? Then what would be on your mind about me? Is it “He is not even a real man. I’m sure his wife is controlling him at home.”
What if I told you I have been thinking…
So dear Facebook friends, I definitely know what is on my mind
But you, I do not give that luxury
Because if I do, your perspective of me would change forever
And then the whole purpose of social media would have been defeated
After all, isn’t social media supposed to be for portraying the perfect side of us, and making everyone believe our lives are all fun and dandy?
Next time I log onto facebook, please ask me…
“What do you want everyone to think is on your mind?”
Now, that... I can be completely honest about.
Atilola Moronfolu
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Lol, sometimes I just write, "Nothing, what's on YOUR mind Mark Zuckerberg?"
ReplyDeleteLool. You are a case.
DeleteI swear I hate seeing the what's on your mind update...but then there are are some day I just can't wait to share what is on my mind. I guess my state of mind determines if I want to share or not.
ReplyDeleteAre you serious? I don't think I can ever be eager to share what is on my mind, on the internet, whether good or bad.
DeleteLol, So very true. One time on twitter I was really posting the things on my mind and someone dm-ed me and said "You are always sounding depressed" and really really at the time, I wasn't o Just being exactly honest about my day. It was then I knew that no one really wants the truth and they will even judge you sef based on your 'truth'
ReplyDeleteYes, I totally agree with this.
LOL.. Tomi you're so right!
DeleteExactly, the will judge your whole existence on a status of a moment. Better to just be private
DeleteJust like you, i would rather keep whatever is on my mind to myself!
ReplyDeleteAbi. The world cannot handle it, lol
DeleteTo imagine some persons update their status like every other minute.....i
ReplyDeleteThose ones don't have work. You can easily determine idle people from the internet
DeleteJust like when someone asks you " how are you doing?" they expect you to say fine, even if you are not really fine. No one really wants to know, their own baggage is enough for them.
ReplyDeleteExactly, not many people are that interested. So why spew?
DeleteI never update my status on Facebook cause they're really not ready to know what's on my mind. Just put up "sad" and relatives would start panicking. It's normal to be sad sometimes.
ReplyDeleteExactly o! Some bbm updates sef throw them into a panic. I prefer twitter's: "What's happening"
Delete@ Coy Introvert: 'Sad' ke. You want the whole world to be on your case? They will just start asking you all sorts of questions, and conjurring all sorts of possible situations. It will be like it is a crime to be sad. You will now start wondering if you can't be sad in peace, lol.
Delete@Toinlicious: Oya, confess, what have you been updating on BBM?
I just saw your comment in my post and rushed down here to read. Wahali!,You are my nemesis in blogsville! *side-eye*
ReplyDeleteYes o! I gbadun this post. Lemme go and chop breakfast first.....then do our morning lesson before I write a post- comment on this topic ..... I dey come you hear?.
What's on my mind? You really don't want to know Ailola, and am not ready to share either because I don't want my words to come back and bite me, or some people use it as a missile against me or use it as a yard stick to measure their own life to make them feel better!By the way, am not active on FB and my blog is not linked to it sef!
DeleteI have learnt the bitter way both virtually and terrestrially to keep MOST of my thoughts to myself! I observed that people speak what others WANT to hear! Do I blame them? N-AY! 'Who would say his/her mother's food is not sweet?' goes a common saying. I remember a Tv- seminar on marriage and a woman came up and said her husband had never raised his voice at her; Immediately, there was an outburst of HAAA! OHHH! from all the women in the auditorium! Because it was untrue! There are some peculiarities known to a certain group that it takes another to know if one is exaggerating or trying to 'raise shoulders up'.
Events un-folding in people's life un-cork different emotions that spill out at that particular moment for a split second, and someone quickly mops it up and try to squeeze out every drop of thought and store it for future use or stereotype the person immediately so as to feel better with his/erself.
Lola, when you told me to write positive things mostly because 'my readers or' friends' are not so happy with my whinings and complaints, I laughed within me; I said 'dem don take my matter break egusi oo'. And I asked myself, do these people want me to be fabricating sweet stories just to make them happy? So they can go 'aww' 'ahhh'? I refused to play the ostrich #blast my wearing my heart on the sleeve personality!# and simply say things the way it is!
Lola, everybody s*** stinks! Even if the person pretends s/he does not use the loo!
OK! I don talk finis! off to prepare dinner! :)
Ahn ahnn. It's not like that o. I told you to write one or two positive posts because it seemed like you had given up on humans. I felt forcing you to write those posts will push you to look for the good in human beings, and hope in us again. Who cares about whether people are happy with your posts or not? Lol. I just wanted to push you, which is why I said it was an assignment.
DeleteLol at the TV Seminar woman. She must have been embarrassed.
Me, I don't use the loo o. I'm supernatural, lol.
I'm coming for my own dinner soon.
Thanks to my blog that is connected to my FB, that place would be so bare. I am the last person that has time to be doing all those 'what's on your mind?' things
ReplyDeleteNice write up
Thanks jare. I can imagine your busy schedule.
DeleteI think for me, it's just the harsh realisation that as yoruba people say "owo epo ni araye n ba ni la" ie it is only the desireable, happy and smooth sailing things of your life people are interested in. Facebook is such a farce and an alternate reality to most people's true lives that it is tragically funny. Asides from facebook, people don't really want to know what is going on with you and even more people don't care. How are yous are what they are: pleasantries. If something unpleasant is afoot in your life, most people would rather you kept that to yourself. So I try to do that despite my penchant for over-sharing. Lol.
ReplyDeleteFB is one of the 'unrealest' interfaces every. People just trying to make themselves look good on facebook.
Delete