Friends on Facebook
I gave into temptation on New Years Day. After watching Carrie and C surfing Facebook I finally started a page of my own. I was a bit reluctant as Facebook seems like something for younger people. I didn't want to be the person trying to act young and be "cool" (or whatever the equivalent term is these days.)
I filled out the form completely as I do for all forms. I didn't even hesitate when it asked for my high school and the year that I graduated. After I filled it out a list popped up. There were names and pictures of many people that were in my high school class.
This was something of a dilemma for me. I did not like high school and have very few good memories of those four years. I was very shy and didn't fit in anywhere. I had two close friends but aside from them had nothing in common with anyone else. My goal was to get out. I knew there was something better for me somewhere else and the only way to find it was to go to college. I picked a college far enough away so I wouldn't run into anyone from high school. Ever since I got out of college I made an effort to ensure that except for those two people no one from that high school could find me.
I did go to my ten year class reunion, just to see if ten years had done anything to anyone. Some of the women were passing around pictures from Prom. Pretty pathetic. Also very boring. I never went to another one. I was invited, thanks to my Dad someone knew where to send the invitation.
Now, thanks only to myself, I had made myself easier to find. This made me uneasy. When I was a senior our graduation invitations came with name cards. People would write the date of their graduation open house on the back and give it to friends as an informal invitation. I was asked for my card, not because people wanted to come, but because people wanted a card from each person in the class. What if I got friend invitations on Facebook for the same reason? Not because they care to stay in touch, but because it looks good.
I could of course ignore the request. If I did that, what would it mean? Was I still holding a grudge? Was I still hurt and angry at being excluded and picked on? I was troubled about it for several days.
During my days of musing a man that works in the maintenance group at my store approached me. It turns out that we went to high school together. It was an odd coincidence. The high school I went to was not that large and was in southern Minnesota so the chances of running into someone were very small.
The fact of the matter is that whoever I was back then I am not the same person now. The chances of a former classmate from high school "friending" me would be pretty low I decided. They would communicate with people they know. Since they didn't know me why would they start now? If they did I could ignore the request. Not because I am holding on to anything, because I'm not. I simply have nothing in common with them.
That made me feel better. I wasn't one of those people that was holding on to those years good or bad. It is truly in the past.
Now I can go on to see what I can do with my Facebook page. Maybe I'll try posting a George Carlin video......
I filled out the form completely as I do for all forms. I didn't even hesitate when it asked for my high school and the year that I graduated. After I filled it out a list popped up. There were names and pictures of many people that were in my high school class.
This was something of a dilemma for me. I did not like high school and have very few good memories of those four years. I was very shy and didn't fit in anywhere. I had two close friends but aside from them had nothing in common with anyone else. My goal was to get out. I knew there was something better for me somewhere else and the only way to find it was to go to college. I picked a college far enough away so I wouldn't run into anyone from high school. Ever since I got out of college I made an effort to ensure that except for those two people no one from that high school could find me.
I did go to my ten year class reunion, just to see if ten years had done anything to anyone. Some of the women were passing around pictures from Prom. Pretty pathetic. Also very boring. I never went to another one. I was invited, thanks to my Dad someone knew where to send the invitation.
Now, thanks only to myself, I had made myself easier to find. This made me uneasy. When I was a senior our graduation invitations came with name cards. People would write the date of their graduation open house on the back and give it to friends as an informal invitation. I was asked for my card, not because people wanted to come, but because people wanted a card from each person in the class. What if I got friend invitations on Facebook for the same reason? Not because they care to stay in touch, but because it looks good.
I could of course ignore the request. If I did that, what would it mean? Was I still holding a grudge? Was I still hurt and angry at being excluded and picked on? I was troubled about it for several days.
During my days of musing a man that works in the maintenance group at my store approached me. It turns out that we went to high school together. It was an odd coincidence. The high school I went to was not that large and was in southern Minnesota so the chances of running into someone were very small.
The fact of the matter is that whoever I was back then I am not the same person now. The chances of a former classmate from high school "friending" me would be pretty low I decided. They would communicate with people they know. Since they didn't know me why would they start now? If they did I could ignore the request. Not because I am holding on to anything, because I'm not. I simply have nothing in common with them.
That made me feel better. I wasn't one of those people that was holding on to those years good or bad. It is truly in the past.
Now I can go on to see what I can do with my Facebook page. Maybe I'll try posting a George Carlin video......
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