This is why us old people are on Facebook

A year or two ago I created a Facebook account so I could stalk spy keep tabs on my teens. I didn’t really think I’d use it that much. In fact I was a little overwhelmed in the beginning. I didn’t understand all those applications and groups and whatever else. So I pretty much ignored Facebook all together. I just got on about once a month to check out Keaton & Justis’ profiles to make sure they weren’t posting naked pictures or photos of themselves drinking from a beer bong at some party.

Then I started to see some fellow bloggers posting a link to their Facebook profiles on their blogs. I eagerly clicked and added them as my friend. Squee! I had friends on Facebook. I was so cool.

A few months later I came across an old high school classmate and became her friend. Then I looked at her friends and found more high school classmates. It was like a class reunion. On Facebook. In fact some of them decided to have a get together around Christmas time for a real life meet up. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to the impromptu “reunion,” but I was starting to realize the power that Facebook has. It brings people together.

Eventually I was checking Facebook every day. And I was telling all my non-Facebook friends how cool it is. I’ve pretty much recruited all of my IRL friends to create their own profile on Facebook. I’m even working on my mom. If she’s not on before we go to BlogHer (hey, btw, I’m going to BlogHer this year…are you?) I’ll help her set up her profile then. Sometimes I talk to my best friends on Facebook more than IRL. Which is both a little sad and quite exciting.

The summer before 4th grade my dad (very cruelly) moved me 2 1/2 hours away from my best friends in the whole wide world. I remember going to the cable company to drop off our cable box on the way out of down and I just sobbed. That cable box was the last thing we had of our life with all my friends. Sure we could have written to each other, but we’re old you know. There was no such thing as Facebook, or Twitter or IM. There wasn’t even email for crying out loud. None of us even had a computer. We would have had to actually find paper and a pencil to keep in touch. *gasp* So, of course, we lost touch.

Until yesterday. Yesterday I found an old friend from elementary school. She looks exactly like I remember her so I was almost certain it was her. I sent her a message. I said, “I hope this doesn’t sound weird or stalkerish (as if that’s a word), but did you used to live in Des Moines…like 25 years ago? When I was in elementary school I lived in Des Moines and was friends with a [her name]. Is that you?”

And this morning she wrote me back and confirmed it is her. And she remembers me too. I don’t have delusions that we will now pick up where we left off, become instant BFFs, and have slumber parties in our PJs and bunny slippers. But there is just something totally rad about connecting with somebody you haven’t seen in 25 years.

So excuse me while I obsessively scour Facebook for new (old) friends. This Facebook thing rocks.

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