Facebook faces
It is a bit surreal. People from all aspects of my life are intermingled seemingly randomly, or via alphabetical order.
Today I uploaded pictures from my childhood, teen years, twenties, kids, family gatherings and a recent Christmas party. And it is all so random. Some people in these pictures I hardly know and have hardly ever spoken to. Some are people that were once major players in my daily life and now we send a short, superficial e-mail to each other with a "how are you?" subject line about once a year.
It's strange to think that so many people see me from so many different angles. I'm a sister, their cousin, someone they knew (and maybe didn't like) in high school. People I traveled with, where you form a random bond solely based on the fact that you are experiencing a new place for the first time and they are too. Some of those turned into deeper friendships. A couple of unsuccessful romantic relationships in there. People who know me as Mom. People who don't know me as Mom. Those are the ones that are the strangest to reconcile. Various roommates. Extended family. Even my baby-sitter's teenage daughter. How does she know me? Well, not very well. One woman and I connected on another website and I haven't met her in person ever but we comment on each other's pictures. This weekend, one of my closest friends joined my list. So did my daughter's first grade teacher. Random, indeed.
Like many people on my list, I think I am addicted. But it makes sense. I kept in touch with many of these people long before Facebook was an idea. When people used to write letters (you know, paper and pen, envelope, stamp and mail) I kept in good touch with many of them.
When people used to ask if I have a collection. I thought "I collect friends".
Facebook is tangible proof that I still have my collection and cherish it.
Today I uploaded pictures from my childhood, teen years, twenties, kids, family gatherings and a recent Christmas party. And it is all so random. Some people in these pictures I hardly know and have hardly ever spoken to. Some are people that were once major players in my daily life and now we send a short, superficial e-mail to each other with a "how are you?" subject line about once a year.
It's strange to think that so many people see me from so many different angles. I'm a sister, their cousin, someone they knew (and maybe didn't like) in high school. People I traveled with, where you form a random bond solely based on the fact that you are experiencing a new place for the first time and they are too. Some of those turned into deeper friendships. A couple of unsuccessful romantic relationships in there. People who know me as Mom. People who don't know me as Mom. Those are the ones that are the strangest to reconcile. Various roommates. Extended family. Even my baby-sitter's teenage daughter. How does she know me? Well, not very well. One woman and I connected on another website and I haven't met her in person ever but we comment on each other's pictures. This weekend, one of my closest friends joined my list. So did my daughter's first grade teacher. Random, indeed.
Like many people on my list, I think I am addicted. But it makes sense. I kept in touch with many of these people long before Facebook was an idea. When people used to write letters (you know, paper and pen, envelope, stamp and mail) I kept in good touch with many of them.
When people used to ask if I have a collection. I thought "I collect friends".
Facebook is tangible proof that I still have my collection and cherish it.
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