Guess what I'm doing right now? I'll give you a clue. My rear end is almost on the ground and my feet are being warmed by a somewhat overweight dog.
Yep, I'm on the internet pecking away at my keyboard. I'm obviously blogging right now, but at the same time I know that Sep and Jen's children are NOT the most spoiled kids in the world, Ron's dogs are upset over their new diet, Chantal is making drastic changes in her life, Azra got free coffee from Starbucks because one of their employees thought it would be a great tribute to the 26 victims of Sandy Hook if they paid for and gave out free coffee to 26 customers in remembrance, and Lee had to ride his single speed bike to work today because his commuter bike crapped out on him. It took me 15 minutes to gather this info because Facebook allows me to stay connected to all my friends and peek in on their lives without any disruption in my own. Hang on....I just got a text from and old friend from Schnitzer. BRB....
Well, it's nice to hear Brenda and family are doing well in Cali. No major changes from the last time we chatted via text. She and her friend are trying to start a new kiosk and are looking for investors. I offered $5 to which she responded with an LOL. I wonder if she really did the LOL, or just smiled?
All of this made me wonder, if we are so much more connected to our friends because of social media and other technology, then why do we feel so disconnected? Why? Why are people friends for years and because of one difference of opinion on politics, religion, a sports team, or any other debatable conversation suddenly gone from our lives like a plastic Wal-Mart bag in a brisk Wisconsin winter wind? Why?
How many times have you read someone's FB status and wondered if they were talking about you in a negative way? Ever been texting and a questionable response made you wonder if it was meant as a joke or if the sender was being serious? You know why you feel that way? Because all of this technology has taken away something. Your tone of voice for starters. It can be hard at times, depending on the conversation, what someone actually meant when they posted, texted, emailed, etc. And as we grow closer via technology, we end up further apart because there is no phone or face time. Isn't so much easier to just let friends and family be ignored when you don't have to see them as much anymore? Isn't it time to realize what you lose by living life traveling down this technological highway? Do you really "know" your friends and family anymore? I don't think so. Don't get me wrong here. I think that social media is great, but it is up to us as human beings to not get so caught up in it that we allow it to control our lives.
Think of someone you have been close with for 10 years. Think of how often you ate dinner together, talked on the phone, or just simply hung out together. Do you still do that as much? I understand in the last 10 years things do change. You get married, have kids, have a career, and it just seems like there is not enough time in the day to do the things you'd like. So we turn to social media to stay "caught up" in the lives of those close to us. You can read so much about your friends in a short amount of time and feel you still know them and that they are still breathing. How can you really maintain a relationship with those around you if you are pretty much restricting yourself to reading about them? Face time is so important and we overlook it. Do you REALLY know about the "friend" who's status you're reading. I hope so.
I know there are days I just feel angry at the world. Am I going to post that on FB? Am I going to text that to my sister? Probably not, for a multitude of reasons, but mainly because that feeling is not something you throw out there on a whim. Now if I'm talking to my sister on the phone, there's a good chance she's going to notice a change in my normal demeanor and ask what's up. Thus a real conversation starts and there is no question in her or my mind of what's going on and what the real feelings are that are being projected. There is no need to read between the lines. There isn't a button to "Like" what her perception of my thoughts are. The interaction of two people is being done without being misconstrued, or if it is, it can be explained there and now.
To me, there is nothing nicer than sitting on the patio at Lee and Cassie's on a Friday night or hanging out with the Venable's on Sunday evening. So much conversation takes place and it makes me feel good deep in my heart. I know them and they know me. There is no guessing on typed thoughts or opinions. We can debate about anything and walk away respecting each other's opinion. Nobody just gets up and walks away while de-friending on the way out the door. Why? Because we know, love, and respect each other. We don't have to read between the lines and wonder...we know. How many of your FB friends carry that same feeling in your heart? If you're like me, not as many as there should be. It's time for us as a society to make a change in how we interact with one another; how we express our love and compassion for one another. I'll leave you with this to dwell on for today and I'll rant some more down the road:
"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
-Proverbs 18:24
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