Relatives on Facebook

I was contemplating writing this post for a while now but decided against it...

But I think it's gotten to a point where I don't think I can ignore it anymore. First it was my cousin, then it was my uncle.. the ANOTHER cousin... before you know it.. half my kampung would have been on the list.

DO YOU ADD YOUR RELATIVES ON FACEBOOK?

I don't know about you... but relatives have always been a group of people I have kept at a comfortable distance. Not too distant to come across as being aloof and stuck up, but not close enough for them to start nosing into your day to day activities.

In these few years of Facebook-ing, my list of contacts have primarily been confined to friends, colleague mates, school friends and such. No family, no relatives. I mean.. these people belonging in a different circle. The 'family' circle. Facebook to has always been more of a wider 'social' circle.... The ones close to you don't NEED to add you on Facebook.. they talk to you on the phone.. they meet you face to face. It's a place I have so far used to keep in touch with friends and share pictures with people.

The thing about my relatives are... I don't really want them seeing ANY of my person stuff.. ESPECIALLY where I go for holiday, who I mix with, what I comment to other people, the kind of friend I make.. Maybe I'm going overboard here... but the world 'relatives' is almost like a bad word to me. It's not that I don't like them, it's just that seeing them once a year during Chinese New Year is more than enough. Relatives tend to be nosy... and busy body.. and make stupid and thoughtless remarks about the situation of others without bothering to know the whole story.. Relatives (or least my relative) have always been quick to criticize.. but slow to help. In my life, I've been help more by strangers and friends than my own relatives.

Maybe its sour grapes on my part.. but I made my decision years and years ago.... friendly distance.. friendly distance.

And now... every other cousin and uncle is adding me on Facebook.. What am I supposed to do? Oh hell.. I can't really ignore or refuse to add them. Knowing them, word will get around faster than you could spell 'click' that I refused to add my relatives on Facebook.

Damn... I feel like my privacy is being invaded.

Oh well.. at least I still have my blogs.. . If THAT gets compromised... I'll have to resort to scribbling notes under my bed.