Just wanted to give a BIG shout-out!!!

I will just let it all out...
Last Saturday I joined Facebook.
I swore that I wouldn't, thought it was stupid, thought it was only useful to single people, didn't know if I wanted to find too many people from my past, etc, etc.
On Saturday morning I took the plunge. Why? Because my cousin left on his mission last week, and my aunt sent me an invite to view her Facebook page/stuff whatever. I figured if I want to be a good family member and stay up-to-date, supportive...sure. Why not? Not to mention, blogging has found many old friends and I have loved all those people I have found.

Well, I sit here at my computer, the morning of my 4th day into Facebook, here to record my findings and feelings...Oh! and faux pas...

So Saturday morning, stupid me, just set the thing up and started trying to find my way around. I became frustrated because I couldn't even find Mr. Smith and the only page I could see was my aunt's page, because she had invited me. Invited. There is a lot to be said for that word.

Personally, I'm not a good friend. Friend. Another word I'm not sure I understand. I'm not good at staying in touch and while I have the best of intentions...just not my thing. I'm not sure I have ever been good at correspondence. I really felt like "if I know you...especially if I've known you more than 3 months or so...sure we're great friends!"

I'm not thinking this Facebook thing will work for me. Invite, Friend, Ignore, Wall, Poke...what have you...(though the last word disturbs me)
Apparently, I set up my account, and 'logically'...when the question asked "send an invitation to people in your email?" I clicked yes. Obviously people in my email are people I know...dare say friend. But is that true?

So on day 2 I find out (from a younger, more 'experienced' Facebook friend) who you invite on Facebook means something. You should not invite just anyone and everyone. You can REMOVE friends from your Facebook account, and topics of conversations can be "guess who sent me an invite? can you believe that?" I assume if you remove a friend from your Facebook...it means you are not friends, have never been friends, and don't want to be friends in the future. Sounds simple...but then again, I'm pretty slow.
Man!
Day 3 I start to worry about who is in my contact list of my email account. I realize that I don't really know if EVERYONE in my email is necessarily my friend. Crap! I run through my email and see that...sure enough...some people I really don't know and don't ever know how I got their email. Ooops!
Do I really care? Not really. And on Day 2, when I got going...did I invite anyone and everyone I saw from Elementary school through High School, old neighborhoods and new? Yep. Do I comment on everyone's things?...if I feel the urge! I was being sucked in! And I was really loving it!
Are there really blog stalkers or do we all love to read peoples views and opinions on life whether we know them or not. Why do we feel we shouldn't comment if it's out there for the world to see.
I personally have never once wished that someone hadn't commented. I love comments! Good and bad...just don't be a sissy and leave your name...but say what you want. I feel that way and yet I read a person's blog and think "should I leave a comment? will it look like I'm stalking?" Well geeez! I totally am stalking if I'm wondering that. I think "what if that person doesn't want me to comment or thinks I'm a loser?" picked that one up in 6th or 7th grade. And then there's "I've commented on 'so-an-so's' blog a few times and they haven't commented back...is that a hint that I shouldn't comment on their blog anymore?" Yet I wish I could comment on lots of peoples blogs and don't have a chance or can't get the time...or they went private and I forget to check because they don't pop up in my blog roll. I also see people I know and want to say 'Hi' or see what their up to and they are private. Does that mean the door is closed? ...you are not wanted? ...you do not have a 'golden ticket' and it's because I don't like you! Or...they don't want 'Chester the Molester' looking at their kids? Is it rude to ask in a comment "hey? I'd love to catch up with 'so-and-so', would you send her/him my info?" And then wait for the "whew!" of acceptance, or the gut-blow of denial!
I could go on and on...just petty and stupid things that I frankly have overcome after a year of blogging and have learned to love my hobby for how I feel when I write and adult interaction when I'm feeling crazy. But I'm not going to pretend I haven't asked myself those questions.

Anyways...(I'm really finding it hard to focus now)...my point is that I thought Facebook was pretty cool. It was kind of scary how many old connections I found, but I really thought it was brilliant to see how connected we are. As a culture, a religion, a school, an age group...and I thought it wouldn't have those stigma's blogging had. Well...I was wrong.

The bottom line:
1. I'm not a very private person...maybe I should think about becoming more.
2. I guess I consider most people I have met, my 'friend'...that is my definition of friend.
3. I don't belong to any certain social circles...I'm happy to socialize with anyone, anywhere.

and 4. After a couple hours of wandering through Facebook...I feel like I wasted away those couple of hours. I didn't learn anything from "Sally is picking her nose"...but after a couple hours of blogging?...I feel more productive. Granted! Both involve being sucked into too much time in front of my computer...but for ME, in MY current situation, that's my feeling. Facebook is fun...blogging is more heartfelt.

By the way...my husband laughed at me as he had me go through my contact list...my contact at the State license renewal office...the Realtor who sold our last house...my contact for our server hosting company...many people who's names don't ring a bell, but have sent me an email and in my contacts. Because I'm careful (ha ha) and save the contact info for anyone who sends me a personal email. Why? Because 'just in case' I need to email you and can't find your email. And 'just in case'...of what?...JUST IN CASE I WANT TO INVITE YOU TO MY FACEBOOK PAGE!!!

Boy, am I friendly.