Overheard in the Lee Household (Pt. 1?), or: The Metaphysical Significance of Facebook Status Updates

Blogging is its own distinct genre of writing (you can read an interesting article on the subject by The Atlantic writer Andrew Sullivan here); but Facebook status update has developed into a unique genre all its own. Micro-blogging, if you will. I hear that Twittering is very much like this (I’ve never tried it)—in fact, Wikipedia does call it micro-blogging—you keep others updated on your present status in 140 characters or less.

Because of this constraint, whatever you write has to be extremely concise; logorrhea is mercilessly cut off. This is refreshing, and provides some unique creative challenges. FB statuses can be purely functional, as in “Kyuboem is doing his taxes and is bored out of his mind,” but they can also be clever, entertaining, and even artistic.

This doesn’t mean that my FB statuses are so wonderful, or all that clever. But I’ve hit on a series that is getting a reaction from friends. And, of course, it’s about the most interesting personality in our family right now, Amoz. And I thought, What would it be like to compile them into one post? FB friend Elaine said that C and I should write a book of these… expressing an idea that I was already entertaining. Well, maybe not a book… but at least a blog post. So excuse the preceding logorrhea (on a blog, of all places!) on esoteric philosophizing on the nature of FB status updates, and on to the true subject at hand:

8:34PM, March 3, 2009: overheard in the Lee household: (to the tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider) itsy bitsy bana the water water spout; down came the ashes, down came the doo doo...

6:18PM, Feb. 23, 2009: overheard in the Lee household: Amoz: I'm Superman. Daddy, you're Word Girl.

9:15PM, Feb. 19, 2009: overheard in the Lee household :: Amoz, pointing into his potty: Look, mommy, a turtle! Christe: No, it's a turd.

3:01PM, Feb. 16, 2009: overheard in the Lee household: Amoz atop overturned plastic bin: Welcome, our next president... Barak Obama! Clap, everybody!

8:07PM, Feb. 10, 2009: overheard in the Lee household: want a peekabooni pizza, daddy?

7:49PM, Dec. 10, 2008: (technically, not a true “Overheard in the Lee household” item, but an important precursor…) Amoz was just wearing his baseball-themed potty seat on his head saying, “I’m baseball king!” He was trying to cheer up sick Theo.

(The others are more precursors… you get an idea of how these evolved.)

5:57PM, Nov. 24, 2008: amoz says: don't clean up i just made a mess.

4:31PM, Nov. 23, 2008: Kyuboem is drawing pictures of poopies for his son.

7:45PM, Nov. 6, 2008: Kyuboem doesn't understand why his son is running around stark naked.

I might have another collection ready for you in a few months’ time, if you like these!