WHY I LOVE FACEBOOK

Last night I got together with one of my oldest friends in my life.  I've known him since first grade.  We went through all schools together.  Had most of the same classes together through most of junior high.  We weren't that close in high school but got back into a groove in college.  And then for no reason at all, we stopped hanging around.  And last night was the first time I'd seen him maybe 14 years?  Fourteen years man.  His name is Dan, we'll leave it at that.  Dan looked exactly the same as he did last time I'd seen him.  Except he had a mustache.  He has two beautiful daughters and he married Renee, whom he'd broken up with about 15 years ago.  I guess they got back together four or five years later and have been together ever since.  Danny and I had a few bottles of suds and talked liked 40 year old boys.  We had that instant trust that lifelong friends always will have.  We felt like brothers and the time flew by.  We promised we'd try to do it every month or so and by God, we will.  A good story to say the least.  And I didn't run into Danny at the mall.  I've never been to a class reunion (nor will I ever).  It wasn't luck or fate or devine intervention that reconciled these old friends.  It was Facebook. 

Through a few groups of interest I have had discussions with people in Europe, and in other states that I've never been to.  I have rekindled friendships that I haven't had in years.  I've made a few better friends through Facebook, I have been inspired by Facebook.  I snoop on people for fun, curious how their life progressed since we'd been friends in High School or Junior High.  I get jealous when I see someone has moved to a niftier town than I have.  I can't imagine moving to California, but for some its been their path.  Some people are career oriented, some family-crazy.  Some haven't moved out of their parent's house.  Some are Vice Presidents of companies and some look kinda crazy Unibomber-ish.  Facebook is interesting. 

My friend Tony won't get onto Facebook.  He thinks it's for kids.  He thinks it's a gab-fest.  He thinks it's stupid.  And I admit, before I got on Facebook, I kind of agreed with those sentiments.  But now I use FB for so much more.  It's kind of a news reader for me.  When I "like" things it's not just me saying I like them.  These things send me all the news I want.  I get feeds from sports writers and magazines and from the Cincinnati Reds, CNN, the Zoo, the Museums I belong to.  I get coupons and deals for restaurants and dry cleaners sent to me on the day the deals are going on.  I get alerts for weather and traffic.  It's my own personalized information feed.  I love it.  If I think there's something that might be interesting I write it or I post it.  I keep up with friends and their interests.  I see pics of their kids.  I look at them or don't.  It's my choice.  I say no to requests, I hide a ton of people that want to be my friend who's friendship I accept, but then can't really stand the stupid shit they post every hour about their cold, or their cough or their Farmville.  So, if I don't respond to some of the things that my friends have written, and they know they're guilty of posting stupid shit all the time...I probably don't see those posts anymore and I never ever will. 

My kids love for me to post their pictures and artwork, I tell them they're famous.  I love for my relatives to see my girls growing up and doing all the fun stuff we do.  I love for my friends to see pictures of my girlies and tell me how cute or how big or how cool they are. 

Facebook is cool.  Use it like you're cool.  Make all of what you put online mean something.  Let it be funny or informational or useful or clever.  Nobody cares about your haircut escapade at the mall today.  Use it to find Danny or another old pal.  Use it to investigate your vacation spot.  Use it to be a part of a group that is there to learn or have fun.  Use it to inspire or be inspired.  It's really not just a toy.  Half a billion people on FB is power at your fingertips.  What else do you need besides Facebook and Google?  Seriously.  What else? 

Or not.  Just don't make me hide you.   

Dad, did you at least like snow when you were a kid?

Hannah asked me this on the way to school this morning.  Did I like the snow when I was a kid?  I told her I did.  It was fun to play in, and to shovel and throw snowballs.  We used to bury ourselves in it, and build forts in it.  We used to pack milk cartons (had to explain cartons) full of snow and made KILLER forts.  And it used to get us out of school several times per year.  And it was fine with me.  But I'm a grumpy old man now.  I've never been a big guy, so I don't have much body fat.  I mean I'm six feet tall, but I don't weigh more than 165 on my heaviest days.  I got no insulation here folks!  So, I don't mean to sound like a grumpy old man, but I'M 40!!  I'm cold all the time.  I've had back surgery and leg surgery...one ankle surgery, one hip surgery.  Shoveling snow is like a whole different kind of hell for me.  I'm not saying others don't have bad backs and legs and necks and shoulders.  I know they do.  For me, snowstorms make me pissy.  Makes me feel like I'm gonna have a sore back and cold toes for the upcoming week.

So, I take them sledding.  I pull Sarah up the hill.  I throw snow balls.  I shovel the patio so I can grill through the snow.  I shovel the driveway (almost all the time). I take pictures of them in the snow.  I take videos.  I enjoy watching them get worn out from the viewpoint of the front seat of my SUV with the heated seats. 

I don't like snow.  I don't like cold.  I absolutely HATE winter.  But it's a lesson in life regarding parenting.  We do all kinds of crap that we don't want to do.  I don't want to cook, I don't want to eat Mac N Cheese, I don't want to do all the dishes, I don't want to do laundry and fold clothes and put the stuff away.  Yes, I get some help from Hannah because she's 9, but it's still on me.  I guess winter for me is just like life.  Filled with stuff I can't stand, but I end up getting through it all because it gets me to the good stuff.  The good stuff is swimming, and hiking and playgrounds...putting the kids on my feet and playing airplane, snuggling under the covers, going to movies and seeing those huge 3-D glasses on my little girls.  I live for those times.  I love those times. 

So, winter comes every year, and I hate it more every time it does.  But it just means that spring and summer are right around the corner.  I can smell the suntan lotion even now.  I can see my girls on the trampoline laughing uncontrollably.  I can feel the hot cement under my feet around the pool.  I can taste a hamburger as I sit by the grill that I just cooked it on.  I can see Hannah with catchup on her shirt and a little blob of it in the corner of her mouth as she finishes her hotdog with the grill marks on it.  I can't wait to eat outside.  I can't wait for it to be light at ten o'clock and chasing fireflies with a peanut butter jar.  I can't wait for Hannah to climb into the Maple in front of the house and hear her tell me "this is my climbing tree Dad".  Mostly, I can't wait to see their little butts with the sharp tan lines.  I can't wait for spring.  I hate the winter, but I love looking forward to the things I love.