My World: Facebook Friends

Maybe I am old fashioned…maybe I am out of date…maybe I am rigid but I just do not get Facebook Friends.

Friendship is very meaningful to me. I have numerous acquaintances but few friends. My friends are people who have been close to me for years. Our bonds have grown stronger over time even if we go years without seeing each other. My best friend lives in Massachusetts. Her niece recently won a prestigious award. I was so proud of this amazing young woman…and she is not even related to me. Anna and I have been close since high school. She knows things about me I would rather forget. Our friendship has lasted through college, husbands and kids. I know she will be honest with me even when she says things I don’t want to hear.

I have been blessed with a wonderful group of college friends also. These women are very diverse. We come from different backgrounds, are in different stages of life, and hold different beliefs. I am closer to some more than others but I feel a strong bond with all of them. When we see each other the years melt away and we are just a group of girls hanging out. I enjoy hearing their views on life and marvel at how much we have all changed yet stayed the same.

Lately, I have come to know some amazing people. From former co-workers to other moms at the kids’ school to people at our church, I take pleasure in getting to know other women at this stage of my life.

Now back to Facebook. For me, it creates a false sense of friendship. I use the word friend rarely. I know people who have hundreds of friends. Really?? Hundreds of friends?? I can understand why you would join Facebook if your friends live across the country or on the other side of the world. My sister used it to reconnect with her best friend from high school. I receive friend requests from people I barely know and people I see every day. I would rather you pick up a phone or email me. Even with my anti-Facebook stance, I am somehow on Facebook. My picture has appeared on other people’s pages.