The Facebook Etiquette #1

I recently put up a Stephanie Rogers Band Page on Facebook but in the process, have discovered the bald truth about the rise and fall of one's online psyche. 

What used to be my continual, open, silly attempts at witticism and flirtiness have now become simplified, softened bits of restrained fluff. An increase in "friends" I don't really know has left me wracked with status self-consciousness and I think I may have developed a case of Posting Paralysis.


Six months ago, I was posting the likes of: "the only reasons to post fb updates are to gloat or to entice. today i gloat..i got carded today! suck it under 40s!" and "Stephanie has a body for business and a mind for sin" (a flip on the famous "Working Girl" quote "I have a mind for business and a bod for sin!"). And now I am releasing stifled missives like "Stephanie needs a cool string section for recording" or "Miss Thing is Very Busy." Have I really gotten this boring, or is it that I am TOO SCARED TO POST (maybe both?)?


I did post something once (which I'm too ashamed to relay to you now) that led to someone calling me with a warning. Do not sound too "unprofessional" on FB, she offered, there will be potential clients or music business people reading these things. So I stopped. Posting. Naughty. Little notes.


I have never had anything to hide, and now I am realizing that inhibition can be damaging to the psyche. Which is why I have created a hidden, secret FB moniker. Now I can post all the curse words and pet annoyances I like! Well, I haven't actually done that, but I have considered it and sometimes dream I could quit my usual facecrack habit for just one week! Actually, now that my grandma, plumber and friendly check-out guy at the bike store are all on facebook with me, I think I might hit the road like my dear friend Bradford did. Instead of mindlessly filing through pages of postings and offering safe, empty status updates like I seem to do, Bradford has cut loose. He was thrilled to de-activate his FB account last week. 


Maybe I'll do the same, but not before I get in one last post about my day/band/recording project/pet anecdote/bowel movement/favorite song from the 70's/co-worker who dresses sleazy/whatever....! I love you facebook. But you have to let me be me. And I can't be me living like this.