Monday, August 31, 2009

Just a Barrel of Monkeys -- jcarolek

I'm a real Facebook know nothing. Seriously, I just DON'T get the whole point of it, or the allure of it. But there's that little niggling thing called "peer pressure." You know what I'm talking about. Since everyone ELSE is so in love with this Facebook thing, I suppose I SHOULD try to wrap my little pea brain around it...(I'd honestly rather be fishing, but I digress).

So, I dunno, maybe two months ago I signed up with this here Facebook and I was "on my way..." I've always been an extremely geographically challenged individual and Facebook offered me yet another opportunity to be "challenged." I did figure out how to fill out the information I wanted to share with others, and was successful in loading a photo, so that other lost journeyers who happened into my path would be able to avoid me without sending a "friend request."

What is it with this whole "friend request," anyway? I mean, I feel kind of like I'm in kindergarten all over again... asking the popular kids if I, the crossed-eyed, bespectacled, lisping, little girl can join in their "group of friends." Ummmm, OK, I guess since everyone else is doing it, it MUST be a good thing.....

Well, I was honored that I already HAD friend requests BEFORE I even signed up. (I think they really call that "recruiting" in other circles, but I prefer to BELIEVE it truly IS my popularity that drew those friend requests!) HAH! So, I accepted as "friends," anyone and EVERYONE who sent me a request.

When I logged into my account, I discovered that "friends" were suggesting I send friend requests to OTHER members. I guess that is what they call "networking." But I don't recognize a lot of these friends... I know some of them from the eBay Blogs, but on Facebook, they have different names.... it's all SOOOOO confusing.... how do I know whether I know these people (until it is too late?) I mean if they have a photo there, and I have seen a photo of them on the blogs or something, I have a chance... but.......

So anyway, I keep getting all of these odd messages, about people wanting me to join their cause, or play with animals on their farm (what??) and a myriad of other such odd messages. Frankly, I have been WAAAY too intimidated to accept any of these invitations. I don't dare even go to see what they are talking about! Every time I log into Facebook, I spend the entire session saying (out loud) "I have NO idea WHAT I am doing!"

The other night, I noticed that one of my "friends" is my brother. I must have accepted his friendship, though I don't really recall doing so. Nevertheless, having known my brother for all of his nearly 50 years, I felt pretty comfortable clicking on his profile and looking around. I noticed he had some photos and that was interesting, so I went to look. I saw he had a some pictures of us from when we were children.... OK, just a barrel of monkeys, I suppose, six kids in seven years, and all. These are pictures I don't have so I spent a little time looking, remembering, enjoying. And then I noticed that the photos were not even in HIS photo album, they were in our niece's photo album...he just was linked to it.

Well, I never made it any farther. I moved around in my families' Facebook accounts and looked at their photo albums... I stole some of my favorites and they now reside on MY computer.... and I even left a single one-word comment on one of my brother's photos. I had a lovely time. But that was one day last week and I still haven't gotten the nerve to get back on Facebook.... so much pressure to figure it out and "enjoy" the networking.... I think I'll take my time. And please, don't even TRY to talk me about Twitter... I'm too old and too confused to tweet or twitter, or pat my head and rub my belly.... FAR too old, I tell you!

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