You can run from your past, if you so choose. However, you can't hide from it if you are on Facebook.
In many ways, Facebook is wonderful. Extraordinary, actually. The way you can find old friends and reconnect is utterly fantastic. Last week alone I had dinner with one friend I hadn't seen in twenty years and saw two more I hadn't seen in over ten. You can always tell a true friendship by the ability to pick up right where you left off, as if it were only a week that had past since your last visit. These are people you were meant to know. Meant to have in your life, even though they were misplaced for a spell. Even those I haven't been able to meet up with, I enjoy our communications. Phone dates. Endless emails and electronic drink sending. Bad pennies, we are told, always turn up. On the flip side of that coin, so do dear friends.
Eventually, you befriend other long-lost classmates and, eventually, you will suspect a few might have "peaked" in high school, because, in spite of having careers and spouses and offspring, they somehow have the time to upload every picture from that time and tag the people in them. W. T. F? If I had that kind of time, I would be ruling the world right now.
I don't mind a stroll down memory lane every now and then. I like to hear what old chums are doing today, who is up to what. But, I don't expect them to be the same as they were when we were in grade whatever. Hopefully, we all evolve. Maybe it's a side-effect of getting older for some, this need to keep the past alive and well and part of the present. I don't know. I just prefer to move forward and take something old and turn it into something new.
RUAWAKE...a wake-up call column of questions, answers, celebrations, fascinations and philosophications.
3 comments:
Lately, the internal debate with myself over Facebook is unending! I love that I have reconnected with some wonderful people from my former lives, but is the flip side worth it? And no, posting pictures of me at a pool party from awhile back in my ever-so-revealing bikini is NOT appropriate! My personal Facebook line was crossed somewhere between a co-worker saying "great picture" (the bikini pic) and me going "huh?" because I had no clue said picture had been posted. Oh, and then my father-in-law "friended" me which completely creeps me out! As much as I love Facebook, I don't think I like it very much anymore.
Rant over :)
I found some old classmates from elementary on Facebook. A couple of them tagged some old shots and it was so weird seeing myself again. Recently, when I found an old album from high school, I resolved to scan and put up all those pictures but ugh! I don't have that kind of time. It blows my mind to think some people might. It actually makes me deathly jealous. I would love to be able to commit to that kind of thing. I love the past. The future is amazing, but the past--well, it made us who we are, did it not? I love looking back at how much has changed and how little has changed all at once. But that's me.
I love the reconnecting as well as the blasts from the pasts that FB offers. Seeing old pictures and getting flashes back to that time is great. However, as I was having a think (after more than a few friends emailed me regarding this post -- notice how they don't comment here *bawk bawk*) about the genesis of this post, what irritates me is the few who *want* to post the unflattering or embarrassing photos of others. Which is so very high school indeed. Anyway, people are going to do what they are going to do, and I knew from grade 8 my political career was dust. But you can de-tag yourself from photos you don't want to be linked to. I haven't yet...but who knows what someone might pull from the cupboard. It seems that God invented the yearbook for a reason. And I haven't opened any of mine in years. ;) xo
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