SOL5: Why I Love Facebook

            Lots of people are now hating Facebook. They don’t like having their personal information collected for who knows what nefarious purpose. They fear becoming addicted to reading post after post after post for hours. But the thing is, we also like keeping in touch with our friends and relatives, and we can’t always be on the phone or seeing people F2F.

            I recently made a pilgrimage to Alabama, to Montgomery and Birmingham, to visit civil rights and African-American history museums and memorials. I posted frequently during the trip about what I was seeing and what I thought about it. Friends commented occasionally, and those were encouraging, and obvious, connections.

            But as well, yesterday I ran into a neighbor who’s also a FB friend, who hadn’t commented or “liked.” She stopped me to tell me how much she had enjoyed reading my posts about the trip, and how much she also wants to go to these places. And we talked for a while. And today, I met a work colleague, who also told me how much she had enjoyed reading about my trip.

            So I know I am reaching many more people than those who bother to comment or click “like.” I like that connection, that reinforcement that I am not alone, that others are touched by what I throw out into the Internet void. There is a there out there. 

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I’m participating in the 12th annual Slice of Life Challenge over at Two Writing Teachers. This is day 1 of the 31-day challenge.  It’s not too late to make space for daily writing in a community that is encouraging, enthusiastic, and eager to read what you have to slice about.  Join in!