Mon 14 Feb 2011
I’ve never been one of those kids who complained about their parents not being “up with the current trends.” My mom’s always been trendier than I, anyhow. And now, she caught up big time. Imagine my surprise when I checked my emails and found a friend request from my mom. She found me on the social networking site. AUGH! I had friended my dad at his request many moons ago, but he’s rarely on it and doesn’t respond or look at people’s pages. My mom’s different; she’ll go through everything and then question me about things. Women have more time to go through stuff with fine-toothed combs, I suppose.
I just now deleted two bikini photos from the networking site. I don’t want to get a phone call one day wherein my mom asks me to explain why those photos are on there for all my online friends to see. I wouldn’t know how to explain. In case you’re curious, they’re this photo and the last photo over here.
did i ever tell you that i once lost a bet to a friend, and as a result, i had to give him my friendster password? i didn’t care since i never used that site (even back then). he photoshopped my face onto an blonde import car model’s body, then modified my profile just enough to make it a slut-ified version of me. i had completely forgotten about it until one day when MY AUNT emailed me and told me that she found me on there!!! she was very nonchalant about it and didn’t even act surprised about what a skank i was. i was completely mortified.
You didn’t tell me about that; I was your FRIENDSTER friend when that was your profile. I saw it firsthand. It was a pretty decent photoshop job, too, cuz I totally bought it, but I thought it was Halloween or something. I think there were other photos of you in Halloweeny costume (unless those were part of his efforts to slutify your profile). I think I made a comment at some point about my six-pack envy and you explained it wasn’t you.
After my Mom passed, a bunch of relatives made a point of friending me on FB. I fretted about it for a bit. I know you find this hard to believe, but I can be a bit off color. After thinking it over, I decided that I am who I am and they basically asked for it. Surely your mom knows you don’t go to the beach in a hijab.
YOU? Off-COlor?!
Well, I guess that’s the thing. If it’s a photo with friends or something at the beach and I “happen” to be in a swimsuit, then it’s sorta justified. But just a random where it looks like it serves no purpose to exist online, I don’t want to explain. How do you explain, “Why do you have to post a photo of you dressing/undressing at the beach? What’s the point of that?”
Well the answer is easy… Because the blog-o-sphere demanded it.
You being the blog-o-sphere?
Well…. Yes, quite a title huh?
That which we do not speak of, does not exist. Right?
I know all parents would like to change things about their kids, but I would hope your mom could accept whatever you choose to put on your social site. If she asked “why”, do you feel an obligation to answer her? I don’t mean ignore her completely, but could it simply be “it’s my facebook, not yours”? Or at least a nice way of saying if you don’t like it, don’t look at it.
I don’t think traditional Asian parents really see their kids, no matter at what age, as adults with their own rights and own rights to privacy. So I don’t think that would fly without breaking my mom’s heart, and I would have to sit thru THAT lecture of disrespect to my elders. I find it easier to just prevent the conversation altogether.