Facebook

In this past week of absence, I have so much happen. Homeschooling deadlines for the state and to be honest, deadlines I had set for myself; children with slight colds....funny how with each child a "cold" takes on a different definition. With the first, it has to be pneumonia; with the second, it has to be bronchitis; with the third, it is a terrible cold; and with the fourth, well, it's a slight "cold". Funny how you become more relaxed with the passage of time and with each child.

Another example would be, the first child better be potty trained, walking, talking and reading by two; the second, better being doing all the above, but since he is a boy we will give him until three; the third, child, well, he gets a little more leeway since I'm sure he'll get it from his older siblings; and the fourth, well, she better get is ALL on her own because Lord knows, I don't have time to teach her!

Why talk about all this now...well, this week, I have had the privilege of getting acquainted with something most of you know quite well...Facebook. It has been an exciting adventure trying to catch up with old friends, but I have admitted to all and to you my readers that I am so not savvy with the whole thing. For example, what do all the little symbols mean? When it says "share" does that mean just with who I'm talking to or the whole world? As I said to one girlfriend of mine, either Facebook has way to many buttons/symbols/options or I have way too little brain cells left to figure it all out! I think the latter is probably more the case!

At 44, I find myself more comfortable with tangible things that I can hold, read, decipher and put together...like a puzzle. Now I find myself in a world where I have to look up every acronym people are using like LOL, BFF, or LMAO...when did the English language get so complicated or should I say, when did we decide that it was alright to abbreviate our thoughts in such a manner. Doesn't matter, I am of the philosophy that I better learn and go with the flow or I'll be left behind.

The other day, my daughter made a gesture to me. The only finger gesture I knew was a raised middle finger, but this was something so different that I didn't know to take offense or to humbly ask her what she meant; I knew it wasn't good either way. The gesture she made was putting up three fingers that made the letter "W" then she turned those same three fingers sideways to form an "E"... came to learn that means "Whatever!" Go figure, kids don't even have to swear anymore...they can use finger gestures that are completely unfamiliar to their parents or acronyms that leave you going "huh"! I'm too proud to ask, so I'll get on my computer and research it to the nth degree so that I don't give her or any of the others the upper hand!

In a way, it is funny...I remember doing things or saying things to my parents that made them say "huh", but of course they weren't fluent in English so it was easier, but still... what you "sow is what you'll eventually reap!"

So back to Facebook, what a wonderful way to keep in touch, but if I may, and I beg everyone's forgiveness for I know I will anger many or at least many will think that I am "backwards" in my thoughts...but whatever happened to picking up the phone to chat? or writing a letter? I have to admit, I miss those simpler gestures.

To each his own, I guess...but I beg my friends some patience as I learn the nuances of this new technology called Facebook.