Why Facebook?

I LOVE Facebook. 

Some don't. Some don't get it. 

Some get it too much and it ruins their lives. 

Like the other day, my mom calls me to tell me to be careful on Facebook. Why? I asked her. On Dr. Phil, she starts off. Oh dear lord, I think. This is going to be jacked up. Apparently, some woman was being taken for a ride into thinking someone on Facebook was a big time movie star when really it was was some teenager - or something like that is how the story went. I love my Mom. I even gave her a nickname: Mutti - German for Mom/Mommy. But she need not watch Jerry Springer - I mean Dr. Phil.

I started off Facebook as an alternative to Classmates.com to get back in touch with old friends from Canada. More specifically, my high school friends, my siblings, and my nieces and nephews.

I only wanted it for my Canadians. Some of my Americans asked me to be friends and I was kinda not wanting to be Facebook friends with them. This was special to me. My Canadians.

Facebook was great! I could keep up on everyone's lives, their new pictures, what they were up to. I got to develop relationships with people I wasn't that close to in school, but are great people. For years, I preached that teenagers should not count on these people being in their lives long term. All those high school friends are back in my life!!

And yes, I Facebooked my ex's. One time, I was playing around, throwing in names, and bam! there he was, looking like he did over 15 years ago when we were together. Of course, this almost 50 year old man was using a picture from college...But that is another blog for another day... Okay. Okay. I lied. He is not almost 50. He turned 44 today. But he hasn't posted any current pics so he must look 50, right?

Finally, I started letting the Americans in. They are a pushy bunch, you know. And it grew and grew and grew and grew. Now, I have about 335 friends. 325 are people who are real friends that I have met in person or communicate with frequently.  If I can't tell you about a person's life, I don't accept the friend request. And yes, I do know when someone drops me as a friend - I go and check to see who is missing in the ranks... Why would you drop me? I'm so cute.

Having over 300 friends is not as personal and I don't get to keep as close tabs on everyone as I used to, but I still love it. I feel a real sense of community. I enjoy being happy when others are happy and being sad for them when they are sad. I like knowing Jr's son is doing great in football. Or that Michelle's boys are winning hockey tournaments every weekend. I care. I really do care.

And that, is why I love Facebook. Because I care about these people and want to know what is going on in their lives...All day. Everyday.

Coming tomorrow...Why Twitter?