Addictions Come in all Forms

You say the word "addiction" and most people automatically think of drugs & alcohol. Of course there are other bad things people are obsessed and addicted to, but I don't want to go down that path right now. There are all sorts of reasons why a person develops an addiction, and I don't want to open that can of worms today either. What I really want to do...is confess one of MY addictions. Yes, I said one, because I have a few, okay, several...for example, I'm addicted to Blistex. I can't help it, it's medicated and I like the little tingly feeling I get when I know it's working on my chapped lips. I've been using it everyday for the last 20 years or so. Another addiction is Junior mints. I LOVE them, I eat way too many of them, I find eating popcorn without them almost unbearable. Again, it's not my fault...it clearly says on the box "a low fat candy", almost begging me to eat it! There are some other things, but I said confess one of my addictions, so I should get back to the addiction at hand...here goes....I must confess my addiction to the social websites. Even as I sit here typing on this thing, I am taking part in my new addiction.

It all started with email, but that wasn't good enough. I had to get a second email for my Southern Living at HOME consultant business. Now I have two emails to check everyday. Then I discovered "Myspace" and spent hours setting up my profile. But much to my surprise, most of my friends were on Facebook. I had no choice but to switch to Facebook so I could stay in touch, right? Facebook in itself is an absolute, all consuming entity, but then, my brother joined Twitter and urged me to become a member as well. Now I have a Twitter account. Then I read a friend of mine's blog (I'm not holding you responsible Beth, I'm just saying...) and became an instant blog fan! But like any addiction, it wasn't enough to read other people's blogs, no, I had to join them. Now I have a blog of my own (obviously as you sit reading it) that I must attend to everyday. Not only that, but I add almost daily to the blogs that I read because you are all so good at what you do. Have I mentioned how it's not my fault? If you all didn't write such interesting and captivating things, I could probably have a life!

You see where this is going? I rush to the computer in the morning, check my two emails, where I see that I have Facebook messages, so I must go to FB to respond or it would be rude, right? Then, before I can get in and get out fast, like I promised myself I would do, low and behold, someone on FB IM's me! Now I have to spend the next 30 minutes talking/typing to them. I have actually been IMing two people at the same time about completely different topics. It's enough to make my head spin. I occasionally update my Twitter out of the guilt of not wanting to neglect it. I have since given up the Myspace account, simply because I forgot the password and don't care to find out what it was. I am at the point where I need a journal to remember all my usernames & passwords (why I didn't make them all the same is beyond me???) I spend countless minutes a day reading other people's blogs, plus writing them myself.

I'm not complaining, I love keeping up with people. I've come in contact with friends I haven't spoken to in years on FB. I am meeting all kinds of new and inspiring ladies on these blogs. I run a business on one email, and I respond to family and friends on the other, while also using it as a ministry tool to keep up with the ladies from the life group I lead, as well as the prayer requests that come in from church. It is a tool that I need and I wouldn't trade it for the world. The only problem is, I need time management and self-control. Honestly, when I was first learning to set up my blog, I didn't shower all day. My husband came home and there was no dinner, no snack, no trace of food for him to eat. I even went to get a cushion to sit on to make the chair more comfortable as I sat for hours.

Okay, it's gotten a lot better since then. Things I have learned...I am learning that I don't have to write a book every time I answer an email, I am not going to disappoint anyone if I don't renew my blog everyday, and I can ignore some IM's on FB if I don't have time to chat. I limit my FB time to morning and maybe a quick glance at night after the kids go to bed. I check my business email twice a week, and the other email in the morning. My house will be a little cleaner, and I will too for that matter (I'll take showers), now that I've set limits for myself.

But, if they come out with any other social websites, please, I beg of you dear family & friends...don't tell me about it!