Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Breaking Up with Twitter.


Dear Twitter,

It’s not you, it’s me.

Really. I’m not just saying that.

Maybe if I had more self-control, it could have worked out. Maybe if I didn’t check you twelve billion times a day, we’d have been together forever. Maybe if you weren’t so darn addictive, I wouldn’t be writing this letter.

But, the truth is, T (may I call you that?), you ruined my productivity at work and I turned to you when I had anything to say – which also took a toll on my poor little blog.

I have no willpower when it comes to you. No self-restraint. I check you first thing in the morning, and must indulge in countless hits everyday. Not to mention what an enabler you are to my procrastination. I hit rock-bottom last night when I realized I had ignored my husband for hours to troll around on the internet. Hours.

This might not be forever. Someday I might come back to you, and we can have a normal, adult relationship. One that doesn’t involve infatuation, but respect.

I will re-learn how to talk to people when something funny, great, or awful happens to me. I will email people. I will stop find better venues for my procrastinating.

All my love,

@ashleymarie6

Twitter Friends –

Oh how I will miss you. Please forgive me. And then email or talk to me on gmail (ashleymarie6). Seriously. I'll totally email you back.

Send a tweet for me,

@ashleymarie6

PS: As a part of my detox, I had a document open at work where I simply wrote anytime I felt the itch to Tweet. Just so you know what you’re missing:

  • I quit Twitter. Weird.
  • We’re done with our food allowance for the entire month. And it’s the 12th. Oops.
  • I told Mike I quit Twitter and he told me to just get more self-control. Grrr.
  • Yay! I sold my coffee sleeve in less than 24 hours. I feel so cool. Now to make a purple argyle one tonight…
  • Checking out FlyLady, because apparently I’m a 35-year-old mother of three.
  • I spelled “simultaneously” right on the first try. Victory!
  • Dude, I’m so much more productive without Twitter!
  • FYI: Molasses in oatmeal = gingerbread oatmeal. Add some chopped walnuts and you’ve got heaven in a bowl. And it keeps me full until 1pm!
  • Quarterly reports are stupid. Paperwork can suck it. (Tiny Fey inspired me to dust that phrase off and put it back into action.)
  • Cleveland people: Where can I get a cheap manicure? Help my cuticles. Please.
  • Holy hell, what is going ON outside? This is truly a blizzard.

So, just consider yourself lucky that I’m gone. ;)

38 comments:

  1. I am so sad!! I hope you'll be back soon. May you find a nice balance, my dear.
    Until then,
    @reneeborhood

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  2. um, totally ruined my day. god, i wish i could quite twitter. (not really.)

    miss you! but totally find me on gchat, rachel.e.gallagher.

    @racheliza xo

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  3. I admire you! This morning, I had to TELL myself to close my google reader and twitter and actually get some work done (and I did!).

    But how did I find your post so soon?

    I'm back on Reader... but I'm not Twittering until 4pm... see? Limits... AH. It's awful.

    Anyway, I'm on gchat, too! lilyspeak[at]gmail.

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  4. I cannot believe you left us! I just saw @reneeborhood's tweet and was so surprised! I thought you were just busy working today. I didn't realize you were gone! :( I'm really going to miss you in Twitterland. Guess we'll just have to start emailing/gchatting!

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  5. Ah! I had to do the same thing for Facebook. It just kept drawing me in, and after a few weeks away, it just didn't have the same allure, but I rejoined anyway to keep in touch with just a few old friends. Good luck getting everything just the way you like it!

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  6. awwwwww you will be missed on the twitter!!! You are braver than the rest of us...who can't quit twitter (have you been introduced to tumblr yet? if not you should.)

    xox

    @missheidi


    p.s. I love your detox :)

    p.p.s. you can always find me on the gchat heidi@legallyheidi.com :)

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  7. :*(
    I've seriously thot many a time, what in the world did i do without twitter b/c i too have felt myself get outta control except i'm always looking at my phone every 15sec bc my tweets get sent there since I dont have a deskjob. what will i do without knowing what @ashleymarie6 is doing?!
    i hope you come back soon, i really do. but i totally and completely get where you're coming from. And the blog thing?? omg i had the same thot last night! I tweet every thot that comes into my mind and then when i sit down to blog...i'm left with NOTHING! esp since i use twitpic too. aaargh. maybe i should take a step back too...hmm....there you go inspiring again dangit! :p

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  8. NOOOOOOOOO! You're the best one. You're funny and honest but not annoying. Sadness.

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  9. I'm quitting Facebook on Friday and I could use this EXACT letter!!! Good luck!

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  10. awe. i love twitter too much to quit, but i completely understand how it contributes to a lack of productivity!

    we'll be missing you lots!

    @sarahdotcom ;)

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  11. awe. i love twitter too much to quit, but i completely understand how it contributes to a lack of productivity!

    we'll be missing you lots!

    @sarahdotcom ;)

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  12. We all miss you very much!!!

    sarahmariep: can't believe @ashleymarie6 left twitter! :*( about 2 hours ago from web

    saramcg: @sarahmariep what why did @ashleymarie6 leave? any explanation? that's sad- I loved her tweets about 2 hours ago

    saramcg: @sarahmariep i just saw her blog, I get it but damn about 2 hours ago from web in reply to sarahmariep

    SoxyLady: @sarahmariep @saramcg yeah, why did she leave? about 2 hours ago from TwitterFox in reply to saramcg

    There were other tweets/direct msgs about you too! We love you! Come back to us soon!

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  13. Aww! But I do understand, completely! We'll miss you! :)

    ohmorgosh@gmail -- we can be unproductive on gchat instead, haha)

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  14. I heard the news from @sarahmariep; I was very sad, but I understand why. & I applaud you for your discretion. :] (Though I will miss you tremendously!)

    Love,
    @_apricottea

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  15. Seriously though, I know what you mean about having a twitter problem. Ahhhh I'm so addicted. Seriously it's bad.

    But so is IM, email, google reader and my blog. Ahhhh! Internets, why have you stolen my soul?!

    You make a very good point that Twitter has affected your blog. That makes sense for me too!

    Oh, and I love that you wrote down pretend Tweets in a word doc. You are so cute!

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  16. what?

    what?

    ashley so sad. but i totally understand - it is such a damn distraction.

    but the document you created at work sounds hilarious and like a great idea. one day you should post it - it could be funny!

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  17. And *this* is exactly why I refuse to Tweet. I already think some bloggers write too much. Why would I want to hear more from people. Seriously. Now, if people said stuff only when big things happened or when they had something of substance to say, I might be into it. But, um, no. I don't think so.

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  18. OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!

    I never ever post from work...I'm too paranoid to have that on my work computer!

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  19. Oh my gosh you and Twitter broke up! Did he cheat on you? I love Twitter. I try not to over tweet but I'm more of a lurker anyhow.

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  20. Oh man! Well, I'm bummed that I won't be able to talk to you that way, but we have other means :) I have my facebook status connected to Twitter, so that's pretty good impulse control and I rarely tweet more than two or three times a day (other than my @replies). Hope you come back some day, and enjoy your increased productivity!

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  21. @moreisbetter DISAPPROVES.

    And misses you.

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  22. well i just signed on to twitter last night because i have heard so many people rave about it and when i signed up a few months ago i didnt get it. yesterday i gave it another try but now i think i shall not go back. id hate to get addicted to one more thing. thanks for sharing your issues. :)

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  23. lol, i am not that addicted to twitter but this was so great (and funny) to read.

    and good for you!

    maybe you can start your relationship back up again someday.

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  24. I was so much happier once I quit Twitter.

    Once you get over the "OMG, I HAVE to Twitter this," I suspect you'll be o.k., too.

    And just think of how much more time you'll have to devote to the really important stuff, like your Google Reader...and FACEBOOK! ;)

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  25. well sarahmariep already shared how I felt about it, but I get it I just really enjoyed your tweets. whenever you want to come back just know we will accept you with open arms!!!

    the best thing about twitter is that it helped me find & love your blog.

    @saramcg

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  26. boo this saddens me :( add me to your gchat mmkay?

    shan.n.bruce

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  27. Aw!! = (

    lol Twitter is one of those things that can just spiral out of control. I'm going to try staying off of it at home, but we'll see how that goes.

    I'm glad you're doing what you need to do. That's what's important = )

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  28. That letter right there is EXACTLY why I've never signed up for Twitter! HAHA! I already have WAY too many distractions at work...I think I'd get fired if I added Twitter to my list! =)

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  29. @jimaiemarie misses @ashleymarie6 very much. xoxox

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  30. I have not joined Twitter for this very reason. I already write and do Facebook (not to mention chase after my preschooler all day). If I add one more thing to my social network, my hubby is going to put me in the home.

    As long as it has WiFi, I suppose it wouldn't be so bad. LOL!

    If it makes you feel better, when I quit my office job and worked out of my home office, I quit ALL chatting online. I survived for SIX YEARS without any chatting at all...subsisting on emails alone. And, it was great. I was terribly productive and my friends didn't lose track of me.

    I've slowly gotten back into the swing of things since my life has changed again, but looking back, it was the right choice.

    Good luck!!

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  31. Dude. I totally get this. As it is, I'm spending entirely too much time online because of blogging goodness. Along with everything else, I go and check twitter waaayyy toooo mmmuuccchhh.

    It is like an addiction. I've caught myself online at home sometimes, too, when I should be hanging out with Jay, and have a major guilt trip.

    I'm trying to limit my tweets and blog reading/posting. I got rid of google reader because I realized how much time I spend reading blogs at work (bad Kerri). I'm still reading blogs, just not 100+ posts in one sitting. It's better that way.

    Well done, you! I will miss your tweets, though. :)

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  32. Oh, and I started twittering from my phone last month, and found an extra $10 worth of texts on my monthly bill last week. WHAT. Never doing that again.

    It's probably a good thing I don't have an iPhone. Seriously.

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  33. Well I will definitely miss you on twitter, but you know my gmail :) Heck we could even EMAIL. It's crazy how now with twitter and gchat I rarely even just send regular emails anymore.

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  34. You will be missed on Twitter (I LOVE following you, your little one, and all of your perspective!), but I totally understand and can't wait to hear what insights you have to share at the end of 40 days :) And obviously, will be keeping up here and will have to send an email or six to see how you and little Mr. are doing :)

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  35. You will be missed on Twitter (I LOVE following you, your little one, and all of your perspective!), but I totally understand and can't wait to hear what insights you have to share at the end of 40 days :) And obviously, will be keeping up here and will have to send an email or six to see how you and little Mr. are doing :)

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  36. @jimaiemarie misses @ashleymarie6 very much. xoxox

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  37. well sarahmariep already shared how I felt about it, but I get it I just really enjoyed your tweets. whenever you want to come back just know we will accept you with open arms!!!

    the best thing about twitter is that it helped me find & love your blog.

    @saramcg

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