I looked at the photo smiling back at me. Tiffany was certainly pretty, around 30, with styled long auburn hair. “Hm”, I thought, “I’m sure I’ll recognise her easily enough”. I was scrolling through Tiffany’s Facebook profile. She wanted to meet me to say hello and talk to me about a few problems she was having. We were meeting at a coffee shop and I’m sure we would spot each other.
The appointment was for the next day, right after my gym session. I didn’t have time to shower and change, so just went straight on down to the Mall. Arriving on time, I looked around and not able to see Tiffany, I found a table and sat down. While I felt great, it being after gym, I didn’t look my best. My last hair wash was yesterday morning. There was not a trace of make up and I probably was red-faced and glowing! I reached for my handbag and put on some lip gloss – at least I had made that effort. Looking around, I scanned the tables and faces of people sitting or passing by. “Nope, that’s not her, that’s not her, that’s not her”. My mind went back to her FB photo. Long auburn hair, thirty, bright smile. “That’s not her, that’s not her, that’s not….” my eye settled on an older woman sitting about 4 tables away. She had auburn hair, but it wasn’t styled – much like mine looked right now…the ‘after gym’ look (rat’s tails is a bit harsh!) “Nah, that can’t be her,” I thought. Besides her hair, she was far from 30 – more like 50. But she too was looking around and as she did so, she caught my eye. I smiled at her and looked what I thought was questioning? Then I mouthed ‘are you Tiffany?’ Reading my lips, her eyes lit up. She launched from her table and made her way to mine. “I didn’t recognise you!” she said!
Tiffany looked about 30% of her Facebook photo. The remaining 70% was hidden under a just done hairstyle and a thick layer of carefully applied makeup. Wow! She was 45 and easily able to pull off a younger age.
While Tiffany does not exist in my world, it’s exactly the kind of story I could tell about some of the experiences I have had about meeting people and before I do, using their Facebook profiles to find out more about them. Their worlds have looked splendid. Blessed with stunning features, the appearance of earthly wealth, happy marriages and well-adjusted children, the entire profile is false.
In actual fact, everything is different. That’s the life they wish they had. In reality, everything is falling apart. Their marriage in dire straits, their finances failing and children rebelling.
Yet, when you look at the Facebook page, it all looks good.
My point, again, DON’T BELIEVE FACEBOOK!
It’s a very false medium on which to spend endless hours.
While writing this blog, I went looking for a picture that would say, “Falsebook” and to my amazement, I discovered a Daily Mail article that said 1 in 5 people admit to making up stories to give the appearance of a more exciting life.
Falsebook indeed… I found this on Facebook!
I’m on Facebook and while I try and contain the amount of time I spend on it, I’m not intending to ditch it from my life. I just remind myself that comparison is toxic and we need to be real and authentic. Feeding yourself a diet of other people’s lives is just not worth it, whether they are false or not.
Ephesians 4:25
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour, for we are all members of one body.
Truth!
Keep the smile going. Enjoy yourself for who God has created you to be. Don’t compare yourself to others. Just be yourself and be true to yourself. Put God first in your life.
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂