Thursday, October 7, 2010

Thanks - I NEEDED that!

I believe I just OUT SCREAMO'ed my son's music.... I can sound like Satan too when needed......on a positive note I'm heading out for a run ;)
I have a friend on Facebook that I wanted to write about...and I will leave this person nameless so as to protect their innocence! HA! I must tell you right out of the gate, you should ALL have a friend like this person. For all of the insanity that Facebook breeds, one thing is for sure - it has been an excellent meeting ground for friends lost, moved on or otherwise misplaced over the years. Some people are easily found, some not so much - and some come crashing through the doors like gangbusters. I love that you can catch up and stay in touch with people...see photos, share tall tales, reminisce and just generally interact. And, sometimes, you have a person who's infectious spirit, keen perspective, witty insight and general positive attitude light up every day for you. That is my friend. I am telling you, if you don't already have one, you need a friend like this person!
Just held a door open for a guy at Barnes and Noble and he said "Thanks MAN" ... ahhh I'll keep my shirt on.. (I'M A GIRL!!!!! GIRL GIRL GIRRRRLLL ..... heck I should kick his butt and yell WOMAN WOMAN WOMAN!!)
Let me clarify a few things. First off, a question was posed about "what is a blog." Be damned if I know the most accurate answer, other than it is a personal 'web log' of thoughts and ideas and such. This is mine. And, to be sure, this isn't some attempt to recreate the "S#!t My Dad Says" site, but I wanted to drop in some of this person's status updates to salt up the story a bit. Because it NEVER fails that, no matter what form my day is taking, some comment or response this person posts provides instant sunshine and caffeine. My friend even seems to know just the right day and time to post random thoughts and views of the world. This is a gift.
...just finished writing a lovely thank you note to a past customer on crisp linen GHR letterhead and in cursive.... but as I stop and admire this 'old fashion' manner which I am going about... I'm wondering if I should just put it in a bottle and toss it in the ocean for an added touch of class!
My connection goes back a long way - the
grammar and high school days of yore, as it were. To be honest, I can't pinpoint exactly when and where our paths first crossed - I am not entirely sure it matters. I think it is fair to say we were not 'best friends' but knew each other from the golden oldie days...then life happened and I couldn't say for sure where this person moved on to or what they were doing. Fast forward to the Facebook era and - voila - friends reappear! And, one day, there is my friend again! Just seeing the name brought a smile to my face instantly because I could easily recall the seemingly unending supply of smiles, laughter and positivity. Again, I couldn't list any specific instances or moments in time that we starred in together but I had no trouble remembering the joy this person brought into a room.
WHHHHHHAAAAPIIIISSSSH! ..... the ringmaster has awoken, cracking her whip.. Hahaha it's time to put on THE SHOW!! (also known as MY LIFE) ... ahhh there's a reason this family let's me sleep in ...

Okay...so maybe it isn't a bright light ALL the time! But still...perspective, people.

There's a bit of a side thought herein as well...Facebook will be whatever you choose for it to be. Some think it is the end of civilization as we know it, others use it as the pipeline to staying in touch with people. It has to be a recluse's dream - you can avoid in-person human contact yet still stay connected. In any event, to me, FB bridges the gap and allows for connection on a level I could have never imagined. My best friends and family can tell you - pre FB I was horrible at emails / calls / letters and such to stay in contact. Insanely horrible. Things have become decidedly easier with this wonderful creation. And not just in staying in the know with my closest family and besties...but finding the folks I always assumed were lost for good.
changed my mind .... I'M GLAD IM A GIRL!!!!! YAY!!! (only took 40 minutes and 2 midol capsules)..... because I am a girl .. I could obviously change my mind about this at any given moment for no reason..
The other side bar to this thought is how someone like this friend makes the miserable, woeful folk seem less morose in the grand scheme. You know the 'friends' of which I speak - and you all have them. Those who only seem interested in posting the ills of life, the dark clouds and just spout out daily doses of bummer. It gets tiring at times when folks decide to share those thoughts specifically designed to illicit the "what's wrong" responses from their friends. I do care what's going on in your world - I honestly don't feel very interested in being bated to asking about the cryptic code you jot down. But I find that it is best to subscribe to the notion that we must embrace the bad as much as the good. Every downer thing we see and experience should be appreciated as something that makes the "good" look even better in our lives. That makes sense to me - though it isn't always easy to subscribe to that notion. Much like thanking heavens for stupid people because it makes us feel smarter. Same principal. So, for every proclamation of doom and mention of how "I can't believe they did this to me" (so ask me what that was), there need to be little nuggets of positivity, like:
I'm not pessimistic but REALLY ... my glass is empty .. So I'm gonna go inside the house and refill it. That's all. Easy fix ;)
That's all - an easy fix! And let me also say that the bulk of my friends and family are also very positive and upbeat and share their joy here quite often as well. But, she never falters! So I say - go, get yourself a friend like this or find that friend in your circle. Or, better yet - BE this person to your friends! Look, I get it - life tends to suck from time to time, but who really wants to do the backstroke in a sea of misery? I surely do not. I have it covered myself occasionally and I don't require another person's road map to get down (an I don't mean 'get down' in terms of funky dancing either). I love to know about your family, your friends, your job and home...anything you'd care to share. That is how this should work. And, if you get the hankering to have a GREAT day with an upbeat outlook on things...please, feel free to share this with us. Really.

There is an old quote or school of thought that suggests we are who we surround ourselves with...or some such thing. If that is indeed the case, I must be the greatest person in the world - because the sum of my friends and family is certainly the greatest. I am blessed beyond words. In fact, I am discovering more about people than I have ever known...becoming better friends with people I was only once a casual friend with in the past. Is that even possible? Clearly it is. Better still - my wife has become great friends with people she has never even met through the power of Facebook - my friends and family across the country. But I think that is not simply a function of this medium, but the strength of character of the people I have had the honor of knowing in my lifetime.
I'm at STARBUCKS with my son .. listening to this guy who is shorter than ME... he's blabbing some pretty girl's ear off ..'uhh I have a blog ... Wanna put it on my facebook .. I have a blog..' WHAT IS A BLOG?? Sounds like hog.. Glob?? I can't stop giggling!
So, thank you my friend...and this, by the way - in some form - is a "blog."

1 comment:

KiKi said...

Joe, I loved this!!!!! I surely don't have the same friend on my FB list...but her postings here surely cracked me up. Very insightful and touching. Love you and Trina much! xoxo -- Going back to my funky dancing now. Ki