I started using Facebook last year, in 2009, when it was 4 years old. It’s an amazing success story, and I do love it for how it connects me to people from my past, from various phases and stages of my life.

It’s amazing–an amazing way to tap the zeitgeist, to find out what your social circle, or once and future circle of peers are eating, buying, thinking, reading, watching, dreaming. A good source of information.

I have 386 “friends.” Perhaps 12 of them are real “I’m honest with you/You’re honest with me;” “I know the true wrinkles and blemishes of your life, and vice-versa” friends.

Some are old enemies who have sent me “friend” requests a couple of times, until I said, “What the heck!”

If the thought of them reading my updates bothers me too much again, I’ll delete them.

Sometimes, you have “friends” who can be hostile. The tone of your posts annoys them, or they are annoyed with how your life has panned out compared to theirs. This hostility shows in their comments on your posts.

There are people like that in my daily life, whom I cannot delete at the touch of a button.

But here’s an old classmate who annoys me by hostile comments on my posts, or her comments on my comments on her posts, (which I am sure can also be snarky). I do not remember hating her, just indifference. Perhaps her reaction to me was stronger.

There are as many Facebooks as there are people. And I want my Facebook to be a source of mutual encouragement, inspiration, enlightenment, information, fun.  A negativity-free zone.

I want my Facebook to be a positive, fun place. I hide those whose posts are consistently negative, or depressing, or vulgar.

And if they insist on commenting in a hostile way on my posts, I delete them. You are deleted, old classmate. Good riddance!

Amazing what can be done by pressing a button.

Would it were that easy to order the rest of my world.

But redemption is possible, for anyone.

Guess what I’ll do if that particular friend request resurfaces.