I miss the good ol’ days, the ones where old boyfriends disappeared – not in the gravel pit, wrapped in a sleeping bag and held down with chains like the police suspect – but in the recesses of my mind, where I was free to remember them as I liked. There they were, in my head, young and beautiful and at the whim of memory…
And now we have Facebook, which has brought the ability to “see” your old friends again to your computer screen.
Remember that gorgeous guy that sat in front of you in History? Stole your answers as you passed your papers forward? He’s on Facebook now and fervently and abrasively believes that The End is Near.
He has a list of the people that are going to hell.
He alludes to the fact that your name might be on it.
Me, I’d rather have remembered him as the cute guy passing History at my expense.
It’s a whole new world, isn’t it, on Facebook? There are names that ring a bell – and faces that don’t. People with names like “Sue Johnson” and “Mark Peterson” “friend” you, and you struggle to remember how many Sue Johnsons and Mark Petersons you’ve known in your life.
There are carelessly phrased sentences that start fights with people unaccustomed to the leeway one must afford casually written communications. There are people posting pictures of you that prompt questions like “When are you due?” There are people TYPING ALL IN CAPS unaware that they are shouting…
And have you “un-friended” yet? I have. May I make a recommendation? Just “hide” them. Pretend they’re not there. Save yourself the drama of the “unfriending”.
Don’t get me wrong. A lot of FB is just good fun – sharing pictures, chatting online, marveling over how far we’ve come. But when the guy I went to prom with wants to meet and talk about how the President is not even a U.S. citizen…
Frankly, I liked him better when he was trying to feel me up.
Wait. Does Facebook have an app for that?
And now we have Facebook, which has brought the ability to “see” your old friends again to your computer screen.
Remember that gorgeous guy that sat in front of you in History? Stole your answers as you passed your papers forward? He’s on Facebook now and fervently and abrasively believes that The End is Near.
He has a list of the people that are going to hell.
He alludes to the fact that your name might be on it.
Me, I’d rather have remembered him as the cute guy passing History at my expense.
It’s a whole new world, isn’t it, on Facebook? There are names that ring a bell – and faces that don’t. People with names like “Sue Johnson” and “Mark Peterson” “friend” you, and you struggle to remember how many Sue Johnsons and Mark Petersons you’ve known in your life.
There are carelessly phrased sentences that start fights with people unaccustomed to the leeway one must afford casually written communications. There are people posting pictures of you that prompt questions like “When are you due?” There are people TYPING ALL IN CAPS unaware that they are shouting…
And have you “un-friended” yet? I have. May I make a recommendation? Just “hide” them. Pretend they’re not there. Save yourself the drama of the “unfriending”.
Don’t get me wrong. A lot of FB is just good fun – sharing pictures, chatting online, marveling over how far we’ve come. But when the guy I went to prom with wants to meet and talk about how the President is not even a U.S. citizen…
Frankly, I liked him better when he was trying to feel me up.
Wait. Does Facebook have an app for that?
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18 comments:
Some people are just safer on the other side of a computer screen.
I unfriended Facebook.
I completely agree with you and aside from avoiding FaceBook ..
I am always ''sorry but I am busy that night'' when I get invitations to "Reunions" ... god spare me the disillusionment and depression of seeing all those old people with my young friends names.
I unfriended a cousin-in-law whose personal relationship with God was getting a bit too intense, a sister-in-law who is to the right of Attila the Hun and a friend who just couldn't stop writing about politics even after I asked her to.
So yeah, I unfriend, frequently.
Hari OM
I have had the foresight never to touch the face of the book... Cheep-cheep? That's for the birds. I can rest without pinning... you catch my drift, no doubt...
I Go Ogling and that's it. Trouble enough right there. YAM xx
Loved this post....so true!
My experience has been that it's nabout a wash. I've made some nice connections but also been "evomited " on by an inlaw with issues. ImHAVE unfriended several people, and pretty sure I've been unfriended. Blocking does work best.
Like Yam, I've never been or done, and I'm starting to think it's better for everyone if it stays that way. Besides, if I never have to look at all those old folks, I'm still 21. Yes, it's just in mah mind, what's your point?!
I can work up a grin over how we look, but that's it. The way we were is the way it should stay, with all those not so deep young adult friendships.
Wait, The President IS NOT A US CITIZEN?
I've posted already about the girl I would have given anything to date in high school friending me on facebook and I had to hide her because her racist remarks reminded me that beauty is just so deep... then there was the day I saw my ex-mother-in-law, of three decades ago (we were young and stupid) in the list of "people I may know." Then I took a second look and realized it wasn't her, it was my "ex" and no, I didn't friend her!
All true Pearl. The big problem is we were young and stupid and now (at least in my case) old and stupid. Yeah, just hide the dorks, they need all the friends they can get even if the ones they think are friends don't care.
How can the President NOT be a US citizen? Isn't that a requirement for getting elected?
Facebook? Meh.
Twitter? double Meh.
Never been on either.
River said it for me.
School reunions get a triple meh. I am washing my hair that day...
Oh yes the cool kids don't seem as cool now that you see them on Facebook now the uncool like me look cool:) but that is probably not true either:) Hug B
On my way to look up Pearl on Face Book!!
Actually, I have been able to stay in contact with old friends and family, which I've appreciated. Just keep a tight reign on what appears in my feed. Have no hesitation to "hide" stuff, challenge stuff, or send someone to the "penalty bench" if they become obnoxious.
What I can't figure out is why these young and attractive women whom I've never heard of try to "friend" me. I mean, I could understand it if they'd ever had the pleasure of meeting me but . . .
It's true our memories of how someone looked are softer and kinder than how they might look today. I don't like being reminded through Facebook how much time has passed. I'm sure they are thinking the same upon seeing pictures of me, and that bothers me even more!! :D
This post actually makes a pretty good argument for taking my husband's name when I got married...
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