Without Social Media

Social media - like facebook, Myspace, etc., has been a boon and a bane to many people.  How did we do without it?  Do we want to do without it?

• Without social media, I'd be a much busier person.  I'd have a tidier, more organized home, and the sewing machine would be hard at work making new quilts.
• Without social media, I'd write more letters, thus justifying the ever-growing collection of note cards and stationery.
• Without social media, I'd probably never know what was going on with some of my family members.  It can be difficult to connect by phone or in person, and checking the social media websites means that we can keep in touch just a little bit better.
• Without social media, I wouldn't know or care what "LOL" or "LMFAO" mean.
• Without social media, I'd spend more time in my real garden vs. my virtual garden

• 

  ramonchen.com
  Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Without social media, I wouldn't have met some really nice people.  Instead of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, I've discovered some fun connections that are more like Six Degrees of family and friends.  It really is a small world.   

• Without social media, I'd never have reconnected with old classmates from high school and college days.  It has been a true pleasure catching up with everyone, and I am feeling rather wistful that I didn't invest more time in nurturing friendships with many of my former classmates.  You know what I mean - the people you knew from having a class or two together, but didn't see much of, otherwise.  

• Without social media, I'd find dealing with some difficult issues a bit more . . . well, difficult.  Posting updates about the ongoing medical issues of Fuzzy (my son) has not only been therapeutic for me, but has helped others to understand what dealing with the terminal illness of a child can be like - not that anyone wants to experience that.  I am ever grateful for the support and caring I've found from the people who visit my page.
• Without social media, I'd find fewer ways to be a social moron.  With my knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, using social media is increasing my "foot in mouth" disease to new proportions. 

So - where would you be, without social media?  

kindredspiritmommy.com
Yep - my house would be a whole lot cleaner!

                                                     

Class Reunions

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A couple of years ago, I wrote a list of  "It's all about Stylish me" items for a blog post. I admitted in that list of things about me that I had not ever attended a high school class reunion.


Last year, in 2012, I attended my first ever high school class reunion.

I admit it took someone else to generously offer me tickets to fully convince me that I should attend.  This friend couldn't use them, due to a conflict in scheduling.  I had waffled too much in making a decision, and had missed the deadline for getting tickets.

Getting ready felt a little like getting ready for a high school dance.

What do I wear? Will I be overdressed? Comfortable shoes vs. stylish shoes?  Does my hair look all right?

Will anybody recognize me? Will anyone be pleased to see me? Is everyone going to say, "Wow! You got fat!"  What will we talk about? Did I just use someone else's reunion tickets to eat a dinner with my husband because no one else will talk to me?  Who else is coming?

Some of us may envision reunion scenes such as this:

(You-Tube, 30 Rock Reunion)


Others will think of their high school days like this:

(High School Sucks: The  Musical)



Still others of us remember the social hierarchy this way:

(Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, part 9, you-tube)

And then, there's this take: 

(Gabriel Iglesies, You Tube)

Some of us hear a name, and it brings back many memories:

(My Ten-year High School reunion, you-tube)

So, I went to my high school reunion.


I saw a lot of nice people I hadn't seen since high school graduation.  It was interesting to see how the years melt away, and to find out what everyone had been up to over the last 25 years.  It was also fun to interact with former teachers and staff as adults, rather than teacher/student.

I learned that there are still moments in adulthood that will make you squirm with embarrassment as though you were still in high school.  Most people are happy to see you and have a good chat.  Others, just as in high school, are indifferent to your presence.

Meh.

And just like in high school, in adulthood, you'll survive those moments.  You'll find that you have more in common with your classmates than you  may have expected.  You'll find that many of them, just as in high school, still accept you just the way you are and there's no need to try to impress the "A-Team", Romy & Michele style.  You'll renew old friendships.  You'll make new friendships.  You may discover that most people there had the same insecurities and qualms about attending that you did.

If you decide it's too much for you, you can always kick back with a good reunion movie.