I have to admit, I love Facebook. I especially love looking at the pictures. I've decided the only time I don't like Facebook is when an unflattering picture of me is posted (angry political rants aren't my favorite either).

A petite friend of mine posted a picture of us. In it I look like I'm from a different species. My head looks abnormally large (and tall), my teeth look like Chicklets and my wrinkles and age spots are way too evident. I wanted it off there.

Dane said it was simple enough, just un-tag myself. No can do. After trying everything, a red "remove" box appeared and with great relief, I clicked on it. A survey type questionnaire popped up, asking me why I wanted it removed. Are you kidding me??? I tried to skip through it, but it wouldn't advance without a response to each question.

After answering all the questions, a Facebook prepared private message appeared, "Dear [so and so], the picture you posted of me hurt my feelings, it made me feel sad and it embarrassed me. Would you please consider removing it?" Can you imagine??? I haven't gotten that big of a laugh out of something in a long time.

Embarrassment and vanity once kept me from buying a hilarious roller coaster picture/souvenir. Just thinking about that picture makes me laugh, so I can't imagine how much genuine laughter I've missed out on by not buying it.  In the photo, somehow (through terror and some bizarre muscle contractions) I was able to make my neck every bit as thick as my head. Gravity held my thin, yellowish hair straight up, coming to a perfect triangular point. I looked exactly like one of those Troll dolls that were popular at the time.

What am I afraid of anyway? That someone will think, "Well, I did think she was pretty...until I saw that picture of her.  Now, I realize she actually looks like a Troll (or a spotty Amazon woman)."

I know I'm not the only one who impatiently clicks through pictures until I land on one of myself, whereby I stop and intently study and critique every detail. No matter how good the picture is, if I look bad in it, it's a horrible picture.

Vanity is nothing new, but it is sad how much emphasis our world places on outer beauty. How sad to believe our worth is wrapped up in what we look like, rather than who we are! Obviously, this whole vanity thing is a crutch of mine...but I think I'm getting better, at least I am laughing at myself more, surely that's a step in the right direction.

Now, I'm thankful for that hideous picture. It's not only provided me lots of laughs, it's caused me to pause and think about what really matters, and why in the world I would care so much about having an ugly picture of me on Facebook. I'd still rather not see an ugly picture of me on Facebook, but then again, who would?

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  1 Samuel 16:7