Things I've learned from Facebook

I know a lot of people are down on Facebook lately, but I'm not at all. Privacy concerns? Pshaw. It's the internet.

Yeah, it's a big waste of time. If you believe in that. How can one really "waste" time? Time just is. You spend it as you will.

I have caught up with a few people, and very happily so. I've visited at least one friend I would not otherwise have. I keep in touch with relatives a lot. You know who you are.

The most interesting thing for me are the people I knew in high school. Sometimes, of course, there are things you didn't want to know- the drug addict is still a drug addict. The person who was always the most romantic person you knew is recently divorced. That sort of thing. But then there are the good surprises. It's been mostly just as my dad always told me- all of the nerds are fabulously successful. Or at least they appear to be so on the internet!

But, most of all, everyone is so friendly and nice. Did everyone get nicer, or did I just not let people be nice to me in high school? I'm really suspecting I was a little bit of a loser as a youth. A year or so ago, I looked through my yearbooks (for a game on Facebook, of course) and was shocked by the dozens of phone numbers I never called, the blatant requests for friendships that I just completely ignored. (Did I leave my own number in anyone's yearbook? I can't remember at all.) I've always enjoyed having just a few close friends, but even considering that, I was a bit cold as a teen. And shy. The joy of life, lucky for me, is that we can always change.

4 comments:

  1. "Did everyone get nicer, or did I just not let people be nice to me in high school?"

    Maybe, now that there are more witnesses (via FB), they are using their best behavior?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow...it's like we're sharing a brain! I know there were quite a few numbers in my yearbooks that I assumed were there cos people felt sorry for me, or wanted to make fun of me at a later date.

    I'm still having fun at Facebook too. I just re-connected with someone I went to jr. high with...and she's still really sweet. :) And I feel like it's good to know that sometimes things like that don't change even after ___ years. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Roses- some of it is the audience, yes, but sometimes I get these long private emails from people, too, and then it's just them.

    Holly- That's so sad that you thought people left their phone numbers to make fun of you! It's a little twisted.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I mean- not that you're twisted, Holly, but that the whole age group and the angst that comes with it is twisted and torturous!

    ReplyDelete