There are a couple of pictures making the rounds on Facebook lately.

As I’ve tried very hard to do over the last couple of months, I see both sides of it.  People are REALLY concerned over what’s going to happen come November 6th.  I’M  really concerned over what’s going to happen come November 6th.  Truly.  I grew up in a family where political sociology was as likely to be the subject at cookouts and birthday parties as the outcome of whatever playoffs were on the near horizon.  To not vote, to not engage in the process, to not care about the outcome…these things are anathema to me.

Anyone who knows me knows who I’m voting for.  Anyone who knows me knows what issues I’m most concerned about.  And to the question that’s been posed over and over of late:  Yes, I am better off today than I was in 2009.

I made a decision to stay “neutral” (relatively speaking) on Facebook because I was really turned off by some of the “discussions” that came of posting anything political.  I didn’t like some of the blatant untruths and obvious satire that were being passed around as gospel truth.  I didn’t like the hysterical, hyper-partisan mud-flinging, and a great deal of that was coming from ME.  And so, to anyone who asks:

I don’t get into it on Facebook because that’s not what I use Facebook for.

I use it to promote my writing or my band, to make dumb jokes, to keep in touch with old friends.  I use it to pass on the message of recovery.  And, yeah, I use it to post pictures of my dinner.  Sometimes my dinner is really exciting!

If anything, I’m most guilty of using it to post pictures of my cats.  And that, I realize, is even more annoying than political posts.