The crutches of social networking sites (i.e. Facebook)
Having been on Facebook for 2 years now, we know that we don't talk to all of our 397 or 768 contacts on the friends list. Sometimes the only way to be updated on acquaintances' lives is via the profile page, where they tell you if they're happily attached, on the verge of a break-up, if they're awake at 5am playing games etc. My page is on maintenance mode now, I can't give a toss about updating my current favourite activities and music. Admittedly, I enjoy surfing profiles to check out photos and see what is going on in people's lives from a distance. It's like people watching in Paris, except that this is digital and global. ;) My circle of friends, in short, seem to be having the time of their lives. Some are engaged to be married, others have backpacked in Europe and the rest are just enjoying University life despite the occasional outbursts of the stress of assignments and exams. Whenever I view a photo album, I re-evaluate my life. You might argue that I shouldn't live my life based on how others do. Well, I don't. But I do reflect on mine. Live your best life, says Oprah Winfrey. Often, I think about how external situations and factors deter me from doing so. I think about how I would live a better life if I had a change geographically, or if I had more supportive and open-minded parents. That's not to say I don't appreciate the security and decent quality of life I have in Singapore, or that I am unappreciative of my family... there just are a lot of 'if's and 'but's. Watching people living their best lives makes me want to better mine. Makes me feel that marriage is a great thing and can be blissfully happy, makes me think that seeing the world is something you must do and makes me reflect that a full-fledged university education is something I regretted not going for. I try not to have regrets, but pardon me if I am occasionally wistful. At this moment though, I'm glad I am gonna see the world soon.