SHOW US YOUR FACE

Remember when Facebook was for college kids? Now, well, not so much. In fact women our age are the fastest growing group on Facebook. That's the last *Factoid* I will be offering because as far as Facebook goes screw the statistics and have some fun.

I joined Facebook a few years ago. It started out as a networking thing. That in itself was fun. I joined different groups and got my name out there. I must confess that I am guilty of participation in Super Poke and Buy a Friend A Drink. Those days are thankfully over and with pride I can say that I don't farm or need any soldiers. For the yet uninitiated I am referring to Farmville and Mafia Wars. Two examples that prove you can get people to do almost anything. Right now I am more of a Facebook curmudgeon. Don't send me smiles, hugs or blessings. I'm going to ignore them. There, I said it. Now I have closure and can move on to the topic at hand.

I can't pinpoint exactly when it started but like dominoes, one after another I started reconnecting with my Elementary and Junior High School friends. Its been a blast. I am friends again with my first real best friend thanks to Facebook.Honestly, I never realized that I missed them until I started finding them again. With each new find we would giggle and shriek in a virtual little girl kind of way.

One of the things I like best is being the me I became over the years around these guys.. Part of me is still the 11, 12, 13 and 14 year old they knew. Now she just doesn't care as much about fitting in! My status updates on Facebook are my pride and joy. If they aren't funny I go without. So many of the old gang have told me how funny I am, like in a "who knew" kinda way. It happens when you shed your adolescent protective shell. Its a good thing about aging.

In a a purely anthropological way I have discovered that the nerds definitely inherited the earth. I like to see all the things the nerdy kids have accomplished although it is mixed with a wee bit of jealousy. Many of my old friends became teachers. The less nerdy ones. Not sure why. One of my old friends is openly gay, married to his partner and they have kids. Considering there was no Gay Pride when we grew up I think that's pretty cool. Another one of the guys, sweet, slightly geeky and on the small side shocked me when I saw a post high school picture of him. Six pack abs! I know because I counted! All I could tell myself was "What was I thinking!"

The dirty side of this Facebook thing is that while sitting in the safety of your own home you get to be judge and jury. Who looks good for their age and how is it they have no sagging or wrinkles. Even better, who didn't age well. Whose looks improved with age and who looks nothing like their younger selves. I can just hear myself thinking "hmm she gained a little weight." On occasion being bitchy is fun but its not the main reason to join Facebook.

The best reason to join Facebook is time travel. When talking with our old friends we might find ourselves back in the 60's in our fishnet stockings and go go boots dancing on the furniture in my room as if we were on Shindig or Hullabaloo! Wait, how did we all get into my room? Dance in my room we did, Go join Facebook if you aren't there already. There's nothing like feeling 16 again and without all the angst.

Social media rocks!

YOUR INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Right off the bat I need to tell anyone with the word teen as part of their age: STOP READING! Go, be arrogantly young! Revel in your youth. Come back here when you're done. Hopefully I'll still be here!

If you are anywhere between twenty and forty something stay right here! Why you? You are still pretty young, yeah I get that. Read this blog so that if you're lucky enough to get here you'll come prepared. Knowledge is power.

So lets say you've hit the big five-o and Dano's not around to book 'em, this blog's for you! Sister we gotta talk! Okay so I'll be the one doing the talking. Anything and everything and occasionally in a Seinfeldian way I'll be talking about nothing in particular.

So now you know. Instruction completed.