Facebook

Facebook has gotten some bad publicity this week. From the totally stupid, that it causes depression, to the creepy, a guy from Wilsonville, OR only a half hour from where I sit right now, that is "hooking up" with teenage girls. He has been arrested twice in five days, the last time because he is an idiot and gave new information to the Channel Two News after his release that got him rearrested. Idiot.
But, I must wax on, since this is my blog and I can do what I want for as long as I want. Nobody reads it anyway so here goes.
Facebook can do some cool things, like connect me up with friends from elementary and tween years, friends who I really missed I discovered after finding them. Interestingly, probably my most bestest friend during those years was Cheri. She probably never knew it, but I truly loved her. We met again, not on facebook, but at a union meeting. She is teaching at the Oregon School for the Deaf. Which makes total sense since her parents taught there. I remember going to a football game with her and it amazed me, totally amazed me. I wish I had taken more of an interest in sign language back then. But I was a dumb kid and we all do dumb things. I also wiffled on my paternal grandmother teaching me French when I probably could have learned it. Oh well.
Found some cousins again too. Richardsons don't take this the wrong way if you read this, but my dad's side of the family is the warmest loving family anyone could hope for and we lost touch. We had the bestest family Christmases ever. Fun, warm, loving, and totally crazy. My cousins, all I called uncle or aunt until I realized we were cousins, were older and had children of their own near to my age. I was the youngest cousin, but the oldest second cousin. There are scads of them scattered about and I really miss them. I miss that my children and grandchildren don't have those Christmases. Our family Christmases sort of suck eggs. Well for me anyway, actually all the holidays suck for me. As a family we never get together on the actual holiday day, they have their spouses families and spend those days with them. My parents would say, "What goes around comes around." They resented me and my husband spending holidays with his family. It didn't matter that they, at least, had each other on those days. They expected those days to be reserved for them, ok I overstate, my mother expected it. But my mother is a whole other story.
Anyway, I totally got off the Facebook thing. I have virtually met people all over the world due to the facebook games I play. I worried along with a gamer friend about his mother who lives in New Zealand during the aftermath of the quake. The first time, that I can recall, actually having any kind of connection with such a tragedy.
My gamer friends also make me chuckle and even cry on a daily basis. They make me think and we even debate about things from time to time.
I have virtual connection to my former students, who I still worry about, I cringe at some of their posts, laugh and cry at more of them. I now worry about my female students the most, sexist of me I know, though it is probably the predators that should be worried about them. They are all strong women in their own ways, and have some vulnerabilities too.
I have waxed on and on and on. There is a lot more in my little brain, but I will stop for now.