Shout from the rooftop, but put it on Facebook?

"I met someone who makes me incredibly happy," I want to shout from a rooftop. But I can't quite bring myself to do the same thing on Facebook. Most of my friends already know that I'm seeing someone. So what's the big deal if, oh, let's say, 250 people who I only marginally know are informed about my new source of joy, too? All I have to do is change my personal status to "in a relationship." Simple. Or not: What if he doesn't change his status? Will they judge us from the outside? Will it jinx us? I went so far as to bring the subject up with him on the phone. "It's weird to be introduced as your girlfriend," I said. "I had an experience like that, too," he said, referring to a conversation, coincidentally held on Facebook. The other person commented that she didn't know he was seeing anyone because his Facebook status still said "single." "I didn't want to change it because I thought it might look weird if I did and you didn't," he told me. And that was that. I couldn't bring myself to say, "I'll change mine now. I'm not looking for anyone else" — even though I've told him that last bit before. Then it hit me: Being in a relationship according to Facebook means I am officially announcing to the world I have fallen head over heels for a guy I barely know. That's the equivalent of a verychubby me announcing I will be running a triathlon in three months — terrifying, because now I have to finish. If Facebook says we're an item, I can no longer shove aside my nervousness at feeling like I do, completely caught up in the moment. My heart is still smarting from the last go around; I'm not sure it can take another. Not to mention, it's like bringing him home to meet hundreds of people. It makes me feel a little squeamish to put a fledgling relationship in such a permanent form. If my status gets changed back to "single," the "in a relationship" one will still be out there in cyberspace for anyone dedicated enough to find it. Putting those reasons aside, I like him a lot. He makes me laugh and feel beautiful. I might be hesitant to think about down the road, but I hope he sticks around for a while. I finally decided to compromise and take the status off entirely. I can add "in a relationship" later. Then, he beat me to it and changed his status. Oh, what the heck? Here goes. (Alice Campbell is a staff writer for the Havre Daily News. She can be contacted at acampbell@havredailynews. Com.)