Transforming Facebook

I've been doing some thinking about Facebook of all things!  I joined Facebook 5 or 6 years ago as a way to connect with my children thinking it would give us something to talk about.  That didn't work out quite as I had expected....they were horrified and told me I was too old for Facebook and MySpace and that it would make me looky "creepy."  Regardless of their opinions, I stuck with it.

Initially I was intimidated by the ins and outs of the whole process.  But I figured it out.  I started sending out "friend requests" and even received some!  I reconnected with people I hadn't seen since high school or college. I received invitations to play various online games.....and accepted them all in my eagerness to be part of a "social" network! I tended my FarmTown acreage, blew up jewels, even got pretty good at online poker!  Of course, I winnowed things out after a while and stuck with games I really enjoyed.....Scrabble, Gardens of Time, Words With Friends, Farkle, Bejewelled Blitz.....and then I got brave.

Playing these games helped me through that really awful period during my divorce.  I was so alone...so lonely....not sure of myself....treated rudely by people I thought were friends.....propositioned by people who thought being divorced meant I was a "wild single."  The folks I knew through Facebook were there but not "there," if you know what I mean.  When I couldn't sleep I knew someone would be online to play Scrabble.....somewhere in the world.  And so I reached out through that "random" key where games were set up for me with people I didn't know!

Literally a whole new world opened up to me!  I've been playing Scrabble for a couple of years now with "Jan G." and "John K." and we've never met!  We exchange 'chats' now and again and it is fun! Then the Gardens of Time game caught my fancy....and I 'met' even more people.  No we've never been physically in the same room....but they have become real to me.

This became so apparent during my recent thyroid adventure....I started receiving encouraging posts from these wonderful people I've never met.....people from all over this country indeed from all over the world!  And Facebook became more than a 'social' network....it became a circle of caring people who know that there is power in prayer and positive thoughts....and it gave me hope for our world.

So to those people I've only 'met' online....Hanne, Tove and Lone K., Kathleen K., Judith, Josh r., C.S. King, Steph M., just  to name a few.....thank you for your part in helping me become a better person, for easing my loneliness, for encouraging me when facing difficulties.  In my eyes you are heroes. 

If strangers can unite through prayer and concern for another stranger.....then surely we will soon be reaching out to people we see every day.....offering encouragement, kindness, friendship to those who need it to get through the day.  That is my challenge to myself....to look beyond the surface and share the joy I carry within myself...........the rewards will be immeasureable.