Facebook

One day about ten months ago when I had 15 minutes with nothing to do I thought I'd check out Facebook. I actually did the same thing with Twitter but I have to admit I find no interest in Twitter at all. I like long winded sentences and writing with three or more paragraphs. Momentary comments don't interest me at all. I have no interest in telling -- or in knowing -- that the soup is hot or the phone is ringing or the dogs need to go for a walk. Facebook was just interesting enough that I made a homepage. Facebook then looked in my address book and determined that I knew two people who also had Facebook pages. I contacted one of them, a dancer in Chicago that I communicate with regularly. She kindly accepted my request for friendship.

A week or so later the other person contacted me. I then had two friends on Facebook. Months elapsed. Celebrities and young people got 300 friends. I remained static with my two. I forgot to check the page but when Facebook sent me a message that a third person wanted to befriend me, I ducked in and accepted her. Facebook then told me that two other people I knew had accounts. One was so darned handsome (and very sweet natured) that I actually asked him to be my friend and, being so good-hearted, he kindly accepted. I rather patted myself on the back that now I had at least one "status" friend -- not that the others weren't cool and interesting -- but they were all my age and steady good folks. This guy was H O T! Of course, in my defense, I also asked his wife to be my friend -- and she accepted, too -- and she's pretty darned HOT in her own right.

Now Facebook tells me I actually have 12 friends. I'm rather amazed. None of my family (count that one sister-in-law) has a Facebook page, so these are people aren't actually required to know me. Then the amazing happened. I actually was "found" by a person from my long-long-long ago past. I'd heard that folks from your high school days were contacting each other (God forbid!), but that never happened to me. This person was even further back than high school!

Facebook has lots and lots of features. You can "poke" people -- though I'm not sure why. People send each other cyber-gifts through Facebook. You can't seem to do anything with these gifts but people do seem to like to collect them. People take all sorts of quizzes on Facebook to prove they are human, angels, devils, smart, or Baby Boomers. I don't actually get that either. You can use it like Twitter -- jot down your immediate thoughts or activities. I have no interest in exploring all the features of Facebook but I'm actually kind of proud that I have 12 people who were willing to befriend me.

I honestly am quite the loner, you know. In real time -- I can't claim to have 12 true friends who interact with me regularly.