The Moment After.

Scrolling through my Facebook feed. It's early evening. Daniel and I are just lounging on the couch before a movie.

He's watching Sport's Center or something, and I'm peering down at my tiny phone screen.

When I first see the post, I scroll quickly past thinking, "Oh my gosh! That guy is always posting the most controversial stuff!"

Then I scroll through my whole feed a second time. Why is that? That we never get through the whole feed without starting over? Who knows, I probably clicked on some cute photo of my niece and got distracted. This time through I look a little closer and see the one "teaser" comment that Facebook lets you see. Of course its from another one of my friends and I think, "Wait a second." She's commenting too now? So of course, now my interest is peaked. My thoughts range from "I hate controversy on Facebook" to "Wow these people are arrogant" to "Focus. Just click out and go back to reality." but I bunker down and get lost in this heated Facebook battle which I cannot tear my eyes away from.

As I read through the comments my emotions go on a roller coaster ride. Mad. Intrigued. Sad. Curious. Pius. Mad again. Madder. Even Madder. Shut the cluck up, now I'm super mad. My blood boils and I set down my phone to take a drink.

For that split second, I'm back to reality. Daniel gets up to grab a jacket for the movie.

And then I make what I have come to believe is the most costly mistake of all. I get back on my phone. I go back to the heated post that made my blood boil and I muster up all of my righteous indignation as well as all of my "Oh no you di--int!" and I begin to text a comment so furious that my phone protector screen starts to get nervous.

I read my comment through.

Oh my word, did I even finish sixth grade? Do those words sound grown up enough? Are they going to think I'm nuts for commenting? Did that comment even make sense?

Hold down backspace......

Go back to newsfeed.

Go back to heated argument.

Type new comment.

Repeat.

Surface into reality again.

This time, chuckle at myself for even thinking about commenting. I do not get involved in that kind of thing. That is just not me. Facebook is a silly place to ruffle feathers.

Then it pops into my head. This snarky one-liner. Now, I think, I cant go wrong. Its funny, its clever, I don't need to know big words or be nervous about sounding like a grown up. I quickly type and even add a little emoji for good measure.

I click "post."

I brush off my shoulder and think, "That was good."

Then. Comes the Moment After.

My pulse races as I think, "What have I done?" I look across the room and see Daniel looking for his sunglasses and car keys and wonder, "Does he have any clue of the atrocity that I have just committed?"

And it isn't so much my comment. Its the fact that my comment will be read, scrutinized, and answered to, and possibly even argued with!

I gulp.

Go back on Facebook, and quickly go to delete it. Then I see that darn little "1" down at the bottom of the screen and I know that the inevitable has already happened.

Someone has replied.

Just like the brave heroine that I am--I grab my phone, shut it down, and grab my jacket.

I look at Daniel and say, "Ready for the movie?"

Once again for the 40,000,000th time in my life, I vow to never comment on a controversial post again.

Until I do.
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