Facebook

First of all, I have had so many things happen this past week that I intended to blog about, but I just don't get the chance to sit and type. I'll catch up another time, but I do need to say that Aaron made his first trip to the Emergency Room this week. Long story short, Monday night he had a fever and a rash. I thought it was prickly heat, however on Tuesday the doctor ordered him to the hospital for blood work. It ended up being a virus and the doctor said he commonly sees this rash in the summer. As of tonight, his fever is gone (it's been gone) and the rash is barely visible.

So on to Facebook. I've been avoiding Facebook for about four years. Since I work at a University, I see all the students on Facebook, I hear them talk about it, and I didn't want to be apart of that. A bunch of my students threatened to start a page for me, and I would always respond with not wanting to know what they did at night. About a year and a half ago, I created a page for the "Year Book" to see if it would assist us in getting help putting the book together. Then about a year ago, I created a page for Ben. I figured enough of his life is on this blog, and all my students would get a kick out of it. A few months later J.R. joined, and I must say I think he's a bit addicted now!

Last summer/fall my High School Reunion Committee asked us to join Facebook so we could all keep in touch. I still didn't want a page, so I had Ben's page serve as me. I became interested, but still refused to get a page myself. At the reunion, I told a few people that if they joined Facebook, then I would. Well, soon enough, they all joined, so I figured I needed to own up to my promise. What a ride it was that first week. In the first 7 days, I had 100 friends. They were mostly from high school, a few alums from school/work (I still will not friend current students) and a few others. I'm not sure how many months I've been on now, maybe 6 months I guess, and I have over 350 friends. I make sure I'm friending real friends and acquaintances and not just every person I've every met even for 10 minutes. I hate to admit it, but it's been a ton of fun. I've reconnected with friends from high school, college, old babysitters and even family. As Ben I posted a few high school pictures, and I keep saying I want to post some college pics. I've reminisced a time or two and thought about people I have talked to in years.

Last week, I received a friend request from a woman that I didn't recognize (the pictures are so small) and didn't know the name. I let the request sit and every day or so, I'd look at the picture again to try and figure her out. We had no common friends and I couldn't see any of her profile info. Finally this week, it hit me...Jennie! Jen was my best friend in college during my freshman and sophomore years. She left school part way through junior year, and something happened to us and we lost touch. I was so excited she found me! I gave her my phone number and she called me that night.

Like I said, I reminisced before with others and planned to post some old pictures. But, after talking to Jen for a little while, I immediately grabbed my old photo albums and starting scanning pictures. We had a great conversation. We couldn't figure out why we fought, realized we were young and stupid (and drunk) and love the fact that as adults, none of that matters now and we are prepared to be friends forever. We brought up some old names and I told her some of the people I was friends with. She asked me about a few people in particular, and I said I hadn't really talked to them. I was just their Facebook friend.

This makes me realize I'm not as grown up as I thought. Sure, I have FB friends that I didn't talk to much in high school that I'm communicating with now. I chat casually with a few long lost friends too. But I have friended so many people that I haven't even said hello to. I see other suggested friends pop up that are friends with my friends, and I let the opportunity of a rekindled friendship pass by because I am remembering that person as a high school classmate, instead of a grown up who I have a past connection with. I haven't friended classmates from college because I think of them as a partying partnership gone sour instead of wanting to mend broken bridges. Why do I not see these relationships through the eyes of an adult? As I approach another birthday I feel I'm "getting old", but with age comes wisdom, and I'm wising up to the fact that it feels pretty good to admit I don't know everything, that I made and still make mistakes, and rekindling relationships makes my heart warm.

Jesus tells us to love one another, so I'm going to do just that. I'm logging off now to log onto Facebook. I'm going to search for a few former acquaintances and request their friendship. Then I'm going to write a few letters to let people know how much they meant to me at one time and how much the mean to me still.