I became a Facebook member in 2007 and was totally a "novice" at setting up my page. I knew NOTHING about what it involved but at the insistence of some close friends and family, I decided "oh, what the heck?" and I became a part of this "new fangled" thing they call the social media. I immediately began the task of acquiring "friends" because I figured wow, what was the use of being on Facebook if you had no one to interact with? I'll be the first to admit my envy of other folks who had long before me established themselves online. They had friends, and LOTS of them! So I set about the task of sending requests for friends and gladly accepting those who wanted to "friend" me.
Things seemed to go "ok" and it wasn't long until I had acquired nearly 75 friends. Some how or another, I was determined to make to the "100 friends" mark before 6 months period of time was up. And sure enough, a couple of weeks before my 6 month "anniversary" of joining Facebook "Friend Request #100" was answered! For as happy as I thought it might make me, all of a sudden I felt a strange sense of emptiness because for the life of me, I can't EVEN tell you which one of my online friends was #100. That sobering thought made me realize that I'd lost sight of what was really important for me. I didn't want to accept friend requests just so my overall number would look wonderful. I wanted to accept and extend friend requests in order to build relationships with others around me. And I couldn't build relationships without meeting those folks halfway, and not online either, but rather I would have to meet them "in person".
So last year, in the early spring, I began the process of inviting Facebook friends for something to drink wherever they could meet me. The teens working behind the counter at Bogey's here in Hutch began to know exactly what I was doing when I would meet people at their establishment, not even a mile from my home. I still remember the day I heard one of the young girls say to the one next to her, "Looks like she's working on her bucket list AGAIN!" I have hauled drinks to my friends' work, home or school. I've even driven as far away as Osceola, Iowa and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to meet Facebook friends that I have known only online. I've had to get a little "creative" in my methods yet slowly but surely I am making the attempt.
A huge blue scrapbook at my house here in Hutch contains the photos that I've taken of all the folks I've had the chance to meet and visit with in the past 18 months. As I take the time to browse through pages that have already been filled, I remember the very happy moments that are reflected in the smiles of the people once photographed and I gotta say how much fun it truly has been. From the crazy "teens" of the 1970's who enjoyed their breakfast together at the IHOP to the "reunions" with former students of mine and every other time in between, "Bucket List Item #4" has afforded me the privilege of connecting with people who mean so much to me. And hey, by my count I am not done yet!
I have been surely so blessed to have the friends I do in this life and if you are reading this, then you are one of them. All of us, you guys included, need the friendships of others. As I have grown older and a LITTLE wiser, I've found out the very many different kinds of friends we can end up having. There are those folks we "befriend" at work, you know, the ones that for better or worse, you spend most of your waking day with? We have friends from the neighbourhood or ones from church who offer a different perspective to our lives. Can't forget those friends from long ago, our childhood days, who we may have lost contact with at one time or another but "thanks" to the days of Facebook and other online sites, we have become reacquainted with. The list goes on and on.
And having mentioned Facebook, a thought or two here. I have heard many times about how "bad" Facebook has been perceived to be by some folks. There are complaints of the "drama" that goes on there and of course, how much time it seems to "suck out" of life each day. My experience with Facebook has been nothing but positive and without becoming a member of it, now 5 years ago, I would not have been able to reconnect with so very many friends that I knew from the "land of long ago and so very, very far away"~my hometown of Haven, Kansas. To catch up with, to hear about the lives of those people so dear to me 40 years ago as a teen growing up there has meant so very much to me. It makes me smile to see the posts, somewhat unique, from my dear red-headed friend Dennis Ulrey and I know when my good friend, Craig Sailsbury, mentions the fact that I'm still kinda short, well he's doing it because we're friends that go way back. I'm sure that many of you have had the same experiences and you know what? To me, it seems pretty dang nice.
And, a blessing to me, the truest friend that I think I've ever had, I ended up meeting on Facebook. He's the one who held my "feet to the fire" and told me that I needed to learn how to swim well enough to save my own life some day. He told me to forget about getting a tattoo (yeah, I know) and save my money to vacation in Florida or something. Because of his insistence, I relinquished my lifelong fear of the water. He encouraged me all the way as "old lefty" went through the 8-month recuperation period following my accident last year and gave me a proverbial "kick in the seat of the pants" at those times when I needed it the most. Can't ask for much better friendship than that. To him, I am beholden.
Well, it's that time again~in a couple of hours I'll be enjoying the company of about 230 or so kids at the best job anyone can have~going to school. I definitely have to get a "move on" here. Enjoy this Friday, August 17th in the year 2012, truly a great day to be alive in. Don't lose sight of it!
Thanks Theresa Brown, Kristy Farley, and Kyle Duncan for being my friend. So glad to know you! Theresa and Kristy are teaching cohorts of mine from here at USD 308, Hutchinson. Fine women to work with and they always have a wealth of good ideas that they are willing to share with me or anyone else that asks them. Kyle, well Kyle likes snakes and I recently spent an hour in OKC with him learning that I don't have to be near as scared of them as I once was. You 3 guys are the best!
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