Facebook Phenomenon

Face it, people either love it or hate it; but you can't deny that Facebook has become a phenomenon - or maybe a frenzy - with over 700,000 users joining daily I think it's safe enough to say that. There is good reason to dislike it if it connects people to you that you don't want to reconnect with; there are those scenarios out there. But we have control of our own personal information and who we want to except [as Facebook friends] or not, and a way of being polite about it all. The bottom line is - if you don't want to be found by anyone (or someone in particular) then maybe Facebook is just not for you. With that said let me tell you...

Why I  love Facebook.

Not because of the applications, or the various quizzes, not the games that distract you far into the night. I don't play Mafia Wars, or Farm Town, I hide the quizzes from my feed for the most part. Not the constant chatter of status updating; and quite honestly most of the statuses updates tend to be glorified, narcissistic tweets. {myself included} Does anyone care that I bought 100 watt light bulbs at the hardware store for a quarter or ate an entire bag of peanut M&Ms in front of my 56th viewing of The Princess Bride. {not really...} No. Not Really.


What I do love about Facebook is connection to old friends; people that time and distance allowed to slip away. I have always been thankful for the innumerable people that have crossed my path and left an impression on my heart.

Then as I accepted a 'friend request' the other evening, I remembered a pile of school pictures at the bottom of a box that gets opened regularly. I see those pictures sitting there each time I pull out a nail clipper - pictures of young hopeful, happy faces from 20+ years ago. I see them almost weekly, and with Facebook now allowing the opportunity to reconnect with some of those faces, opening that little box makes me smile.

I love Facebook for the simple fact that it was answered the questions in my heart about some of those I had wondered about, prayed for and hoped were well.

Technology today is truly amazing, isn't it?

The Facebook Frenzy

I finally broke down and joined Facebook a few weeks ago. (gosh - like two months ago already!) I'm not sure what led me to my lapse in judgment, but alas I am on Facebook. I actually only log on when an email hits my mailbox or the GID says something to me across the office about it. He says I addicted now, but it's only because I have more friends than him. Addicted. Yeah, that's why when I logged on the other day I found several friend requests and 30+ misc. invitations.

Speaking of invitations, what is up with all of that? Pokes and patches, drinks, cupcakes, hugs, plants, hanging Christmas ornaments, bumper stickers, kidnappings...come on what is all that crap? (sorry, oh dear, devoted lovers of Facebook!) So I ignore a lot of it. Or I finally click to accept it then immediately get annoyed that it send me on a goose chase and wants me to send others on that same path.

Although I admit, I've enjoyed the movie quizzes and I really should not have missed the question about Castor Oil in the Grease fan quiz. Seriously, I wanted to be the Cool Sandy when I was a kid (with the exception of that one she sings by the kiddy-pool - gag! What was that? "Hopeless Devoted"? I think so).

 Anyway, my lapse was based on the fact that there are people that I haven't had contact with in a while that I am able to connect with via Facebook. People from highschool, college, all the way up to kids from my youthgroup leadership days at my old church. And new friends in my life that I've only recently met.

That is the one reason I like and joined Facebook. I've been fortunate over the years to have so many people in my life, and to reconnect (or stay connected) to some of them is a blessing. I still don't see or hear from them everyday. I don't need to; but we know where to find each other.

I know it has it's downsides and glitches. Doesn't all social networking sites? And I'm still a little perturbed over the fact that I sat down the other evening and decided I would update my profile with favorite movies, music, books, etc. and in one wrong pass of the key it was all gone without warning!!  GAH!!

I'll get over it.

Someday.

In the meantime, feel free to look my up on Facebook.

Yasou!!.