Oh Facebook, How I Love Thee....

As I sit here at home, in bed for the 4th day of a lousy sinus/ear infection thingy, I've finally had the chance to think about my lonesome lil' blog....forgive grammar and spelling mistakes, I'm slightly delirious...

I have been a Facebook member for quite a while. I joined sort of as a gag when one summer. my staff members were spending all their "off" time checking their Facebook pages. I didn't understand what it was. So I joined, in hopes of figuring out what the fuss was all about. Suffice to say, I still didn't really get it. It just wasn't really that compelling.

But then, circumstances changed. I started to notice that more "grown-up" people were joining in on the craze. I was able to locate 25 or so members of my high school graduating class. I don't think I actually "friended" them, but, it was cool to see that these folks were still out there, living their lives.

One day, I heard the news of a death of one of my classmates. He wasn't in my inner circle of friends, but I remembered him fondly, we were in some plays together, sang in choir together. He was just a really nice kid. And I never thought of him, without thinking about his Best Friend. They were "partners in crime" so to speak. And I felt the need to express my condolences somehow to his friend who'd I'd long since lost touch with.

I found that old friend on Facebook, was able to write him a note, and we eventually "friended" each other. Since then, many more old friends and acquaintances have resurfaced on Facebook, and amazingly I find myself reconnecting with people with whom I'd otherwise probably never have occasion to see again. It's really something.

My Facebook connections have taken me on a backwards journey of my life. It started with my more recent friends, recent camp connections, kids friend, etc. Then old camp connections, old dates, and college friends came out of the woodwork. High School Friends reappeared and just recently, an old friend from the neighborhood, who I'd known since kindergarten but hadn't seen since I was 14 years old reconnected with me. I've even "friended' my 5th grade teacher!!

And each time I find one of these "new" old friends, I go on a little ride right back to the past. I remember things that have long since been filed away in a deep corner of my mind. I remember funny things, (huck-a-poo shirts, boy/girl parties, camp hi-jinx), embarrassing things (none that I'll recount here), and the saddest things I've ever had to think about (the death of a little boy in my neighborhood).

I find some of the same ancient, useless emotions crop up when I see photos of some of the old gang...how I never really felt like I fit in, how certain girls still remind me of my inadequacies, make me feel "not good enough". How certain people still instill a sense of warmth and kindness in their being.

In the end, we all have a need to be part of a community. Whether it's our bloggy friends, our kid's friends parents, co-workers, family members or neighbors. It's cool, that in this new age, we have one more way to be a part of something. And while some might think Facebook is kind of silly, and a bit of a time sucker (which it can be), it's just a really nice way to reconnect, and be a member of a community.