Friends and Favors

Before I go on sharing with you the rest of my Hong Kong and Macau trip, let me detour a bit and share with you something that has been bothering me lately: friends, or so you think. How do you know if a friend is worth keeping in your life? How do you know if who you call "friend" really care about you? And the most important question of all: how do you know if you'd be better off without that "friend" in your life?

Don't you hate it when someone buzzes you on Facebook or whatever form of social media, asks how you are, but only to ask something from you? And when that person gets a negative answer from you, that person disappears from the conversation? Me--I absolutely hate it. I'm so close to posting an FB status that reads: If you're gonna ask something from me, just say it right away. Don't start with asking how I am--or worse, saying that you miss me--only to segue to your real purpose. And in the occasion that you start the conversation by an obligatory but fake "how are you," at least have the courtesy to end the conversation, instead of simply disappearing into cyberspace.

Forgive me if I'm assailing your ears (err... I mean eyes) with my rant. I just want to let my frustration (and fine, anger) with those people out. I'm so close to unfriending them on social media, but I think that's an immature thing to do. I'll just try to calmly receive their messages and turn them down. Or better yet, I'll probably just ignore them the next time they send me a message. Maybe then, they'll get the point.

I hope I don't get that type of message on Facebook anymore. I hope the next time someone sends me a PM, it's because of a genuine desire to catch up. Or else, I would have to perfect the art of "seen-zoning." I bet nothing could top how awful it is to be ignored.