67 Friends

The world is a Global Village.

Just ask anyone who’s signed up for Facebook (or as those in the know call it, fb).

After years of being invited to join, asked if I have joined, and outright told I’ve gotta join, I finally did.

Less than 24 hours later, I have ‘67 Friends’.

Wow, I didn’t think I actually knew that many people, let alone have the kind of relationship to call them “friends”.

But there you have it. 67 people thus far have decided they’d like to be in touch with me in a virtual manner. And like The Carpenters sang, we’ve only just begun!

I haven’t managed to do any in-depth searches for long-lost buddies as yet.

Not to mention the requests from people who know people who know me, or requests from people no people I know has ever heard of!

Now, I’m kinda new at all this, but what is the protocol for confirming friend requests, I wonder…

Can you platonically rekindle old flames and run the risk of getting burned by your current S.O. (that’s significant other, for those not up on the shorthand)?

Will you suddenly become super friendly with an ex-colleague who you only ever said “G’day” to if you both happened to be by the watercooler at the same time? Or will you develop a cyber friendship with the one who stole your job?

Do you accept a relative just because you’re related? Despite the fact that you a) have never met them, or b) have not clapped eyes on them for many years- maybe since the last big family reunion or funeral. And how many generations do you go back, or forward, in the name of friendliness? (Don’t tell me that you adore every member of your extended clan…blood may be thicker than water but some folk are thicker still, if you get my drift.) (I’m speaking hypothetically of course – there’s no one in my family to which I’m referring, honest.)

And how does one go about finding people, exactly?

Just on spec, I typed in a few names, mostly of people who have been asking me when I’m going to show my face on Facebook, and darned if the search engine didn’t want me to have practically every bit of their intimate details upfront! I mean to say, if I knew that much about them, surely I wouldn’t have to resort to getting/staying in touch over the information superhighway. I’d be gas-bagging on the phone, or catching up for cuppas like nobody’s business, am I right? We’d certainly be exchanging Christmas cards, to say the very least.

As far as female friends are concerned, most of them have gone the traditional route and changed their surname to their previous (or past) partner. Some of them have done it more than once, so how’s a person supposed to keep track of what name they’re going by these days? It’s even worse if you only ever referred to someone by a nickname (or in the case of our radio pals, had a fictitious name altogether)…fb being as formal as it is, a first and last name at least is required.

So I probably won’t find a few old friends anyhow. And some I sure as hell hope don’t find me (I’d feel terrible hitting the Ignore button).

Due to work and the way my life has progressed, I have been known by a number of names. And I definitely don’t look the same at almost-40 that I did in high school (I wish)!

Oh and don’t even get me started on the barn raising, sorority parties, aquariums, and adoptions of every kind that pop up on my page whenever I find a few minutes to log on. One of the reasons I held off joining the FB revolution for so long was that I simply don’t have the time to sit at the computer for too many hours, let alone play games. My Beloved, on the other hand, has all but made a career out of it (I tell you, if those doubloons translated into cold hard cash we'd be rolling rich).

No I’m flat out figuring out how to set my privacy settings so that every Tom, Dick and Harry on the planet doesn’t get to see my every thought. And nearly every time I’ve tried to upload a photo our computer has ‘detected a malicious program’ and shut me down.

Meanwhile the rest of my 67 Friends (whoa, make that 75 now, I just checked my profile) are busily hatching sheep and building chickens and selling chocolate bars for the seahorse sorority.

*sighs*

If the world really is a Global Village, I seem to have taken up residence as village idiot.

Which reminds me, I best go update my status.


Jx
©2010

The Ghost of Childhood Past

I’ve just had word that another old schoolmate has died.

Well, not that we’re that old, really. I mean, sure I’m staring down the barrel of the big 4.0. but I’m still a few months off yet. I can still claim to be young-ish (even if the face that greets me in the mirror some mornings looks frighteningly tired and old).

No, what I mean is, a friend from long ago when we were carefree- the way kids are meant to be.

Sure, we’ve lost touch- as most mates do once you’re not forced to spend 6 hours in their company, 5 days a week, for up to 13 years.

Life kinda gets in the way.

Until someone you used to know dies.

And then there’s the flurry of phone calls, emails, or SMS…firstly to pass along the sad news to someone who might not know…or the messages madly trying to find out why a “kid” you grew up with, has their name in the Obituaries.

Makes me wonder why we don’t take more time, or spend a little more energy keeping in touch while we’re all still fit and healthy.

But there’s your answer right there, isn’t it?

When you’re in the prime of life, sometimes we get so busy just living that we don’t stop and think until perhaps someone isn’t.

Oh I know we’ve all made an effort here and there- sending the occasional Christmas or birthday card, forwarding an email that says “I’m thinking of you”, or even dropping a note or a smiley on one of the many social networks rolling around.

I know I sent a message for this former chum a good couple of years ago now, on one of those “school friends” sites. Didn’t get a reply so I left it at that. Won’t get one now.

But in the face of this news, I’ve already touched base with two other mates, with whom the contact is sporadic but always as comfortable as ever. I guess it’s different if you can date your friendship way back to wagging preschool together by hiding out in the cubby house.

Still, I don’t see them as often as I’d like. Mind you, we all live in different cities now, occasionally different countries, so it’s a little difficult to kick back with a cuppa or a cold one with a friend when distance is your foe.

And so I sit, wondering why yet another classmate has gone too soon.

Thinking of all those who I really should make contact with.

And being thankful for those who I do get to catch up with for a laugh.

And I offer up a silent prayer for the children that I played with...the teenagers I hung out with... the adults I spent time with… who now get to watch over us all.

Jx
©2009