I don't think I'm cut out for Facebook

I'm really apolitical, as I think you guys who've been around these parts for years already know. Not only do I not talk about politics here, but I don't talk about it around my kitchen table with the kids, at my bathroom counter with Grayson or over lunch with friends.

I'm just not cut out for the maintenance that's required. The stress of thinking too hard about it, the annoyance of someone trying to get me to agree with them, the effort of trying to get someone to agree with me. I'll leave that up to the rest of you.

Having said that, you can understand why Facebook is a hard place for me to be on a day like yesterday, when groundbreaking legislation was on the table. Typically, I try to stay away from it during SEC football season and election cycles, as well as days like yesterday. But last night I received some very sad news, that my friend and coworker Laura Beth had passed away after a brief battle with cancer. I wanted to visit her page, leave a message of support for her family, and look through her photo albums for comfort.

When I logged in, I found that several of our mutual friends had already posted messages on their own timelines expressing sadness and support, so I scrolled down to read what they had to say. While scrolling, I also came across these (this is not a complete set, just several that I pulled until I couldn't stand to download any more) (and if you posted one of these, please don't take this personally) (and I'm trying to post an equal number from each "side"):

And finally, the only one that really made sense to me on a night when I just really felt like being anything other than a supportive neighbor and friend was a terrible thing to be:

It's not just the graphics ... it's the conversations and arguments that they stimulated in the comments below each one. The language used between "friends." The intolerance from both sides for the other side's point of view.

I think I've just finally figured out that maybe Facebook isn't for me. I know that I'm one of the relative few who has another outlet for my own voice, where I can be heard and people can respond as they please. Most of my friends use Facebook for that purpose because they feel like they have nowhere else to do it.

But gosh.