By Kathleen Guthrie Woods
Due to some unfortunate security issues, I recently had to “unfriend” several “friends” and business acquaintances from my personal Facebook page. I sent individual messages to each person to explain that this would be happening and express my hope that this wouldn’t cause any hard feelings. It wasn’t a fun process.
But, when it was all done, I found it was rather liberating. Friends-of-friends-of-friends and coworkers-of-coworkers who really had no business being in my personal business were removed, leaving me with a smaller circle of real friends, people with whom I actually want to keep in touch.
And it got me thinking about other things I’d like to unfriend. Like entertainment shows that consider having a baby newsworthy, magazines for mothers that masquerade as magazines for “women,” and books (typically classics) that feature a female character who has gone insane because she couldn’t give her husband children.
While I’m at it, I wouldn’t mind temporarily unfriending anyone who relays in great detail their baby’s smallest developments (“She pooped!”) and skipping over the royal pregnancy (I mean, congratulations and good luck to the Prince and Duchess, but spare me the nine months of “news”).
This could, of course, get out of control, and I could find myself friendless, but it has some appeal, doesn’t it? You tell me: What would you like to unfriend this week?
Kathleen Guthrie Woods is a Northern California–based freelance writer. She is mostly at peace with her childfree status.
The list runs long, but here’s a start:
All TV shows about parenting, pregnancies, adoption. Even “The New Normal,” as much as I love it.
The parking spaces at my grocery store marked as reserved for “parents with children”
Stories about celebrities’ struggles with fertility that have happy endings via surrogates, IVF, or adoption.
Unsympathetic pregnant friends–Oh, wait! I did that already. 🙂
Grey’s Anatomy. They finally had an honest storyline going on about how not all women can actually have babies, and then BLAMO. They adopt and she gets pregnant. Biggest storyline disappointment ever. It just grates on me, and I want to yell at the writers. I know, I sound like a crazy lady.
Facebook, is the worst. I ended unfriending a lot of so called friends. I just couldn’t stand the constant photos of their kids, posts on pooping and inspirational quotes. I also hide the comments of the friends or family I can’t unfriend. On another note, I am thinking about unfriending friends who constantly post picture of their meals, I mean I know what food look like. I hate the “look at me, my like is perfect” effect on facebook.
There is now parking spaces reserved for mother with kids and pregnant woman at the municipal library. This is beyond ridiculous.
The library? Really? Good grief! What’s next? Churches, banks, and restaurants? Why not just put a sign up at the back of the parking lot that says, “Childless people park here. You can walk farther.”
I absolutely hate those ridiculous paking spots for parents, or expectant mothers.
In fact, I have actually parked in one of those spots on purpose at a supermarket just to be a jerk. I know, it’s toally silly, but really? People with kids can’t walk more than 10 feet to the door?
yes, I already unfriended some “friends”.
Indeed, it feels liberating!
My husband hates it when people put things like, “Happy 4th birthday to my beautiful daughter Kylie. Mommy loves you.”
While we realize this is a way for a person to simply draw attention to a family birthday, we both think it is silly to phrase it as a message to the child who can’t read and isn’t online, let alone on FB.
He has threatened to post something like, “Congrats to Spot! Your fur daddy is so proud that you didn’t crap in the hallway overnight. We love you!”
True, the message about (or to?) a dog is different than drawing attention to a child but the premise annoys us.
I have to say that my new office roommate is, unknowingly, helping me appreciate being childless. She has three teenagers – two girls, one boy. The eldest girl is in college. $40,000 per year! And they still have two more kids to go. Then there’s the complaints about how dirty the house is, how she “feels like a maid”. And her frustrations with always needing to remind them to do their chores. Ha! You don’t see that on Facebook.
A couple we know call each other mom and dad when we are out at an adult dinner with no kids present and it drives me insane. I wish I could unfriend that chase commercial where she announces she’s having triplets.
I have never seen those parking spots…and when and if I ever do, I will park there just out of spite! I will risk getting a ticket. That is crazy….what did our parents do years ago when there were no computers, iPads, Smart Phones, etc…to ‘babysit’ their kids. Now parents these days can’t even walk a little further? God help me….
And yes….I am very thankful for the ‘hide’ posts button on Facebook as I have used it on many people…especially the one’s with children. There are a few I would love to unfriend but haven’t done so yet.