About a year and a half ago when I first got on facebook, I thought "Hey, wouldn't it be neat if some of my friends from high school were on here? It sure would be neat to see what they are up to." So I did a search...and found nothing. "Oh well." I thought. "They probably all have lives full of husbands and wives and children and Saturday soccer games. They aren't going to waste their time on something like facebook. Not to mention, this is Red Oak we're talking about." And then I went on my merry way in ignorant bliss...
Then this summer I had a friend request from someone I went to high school with and was so excited when I found several others in our school/church/friend group as well. So I friend requested all of them and have been keeping tabs on them (a.k.a. stalking) ever since. Once again I thought it would be neat to see if anyone else from Red Oak High '94 was on facebook...and once again found nothing.
Then tonight I was doing my weekly random stalking and came across someone that I knew from high school but more than likely doesn't remember me. I didn't friend request her...why should I? We never were friends, just acquaintances. But going through her friend list I found so many other people from high school...people that I know of but never really knew and I'm sure who won't remember me. There was practically my entire high school class on facebook and I didn't even know. I looked at tons of people and only friend requested about 4 that I thought might actually remember me. And as I was looking at these people and thinking, "Wow. I never knew that about her/him!" I realized that not much has changed since high school. I'm on the outside looking in completely fascinated with their lives and doing more observing than interacting.
And then I realized that a lot of things HAVE changed in the past 15 years. I grew up for one thing...and so did they. Just looking at thier pictures I realized that they looked like grown-ups...not like the teenagers I remember them as. For another thing, I learned how to talk to people and interact with them. That may sound stupid, but I was extremely shy and very unsure of myself as a teenager. I don't think I ever held a conversation with anyone that lasted more than 5 minutes. Now sometimes you can't get me to shut-up (hence the blog).
Anyways, I don't really know the point I'm trying to make and I don't know that any of this means anything to any of you but since I've typed all of this I guess I'll go ahead and post it. Maybe later I'll think of an actual point to make and I'll amend this post. For now though, it's late and I'm going to bed.
5 comments:
I get it. I don't care who you are, high school affected everyone that went--whether for good or bad. We're still in essence the same people we always have been in our core, but all the awkward stuff tends to take care of itself and we get better as we get older . . . well MOST of us do. :)
The point is that it's somehow gratifying to see that people really do grow up...not just us, but everyone else we know. And if we're lucky, they "season" as they grow and we're all 5 or 10 years better, not just older. Or at least that's MY point. Loved this post, Rhia.
Let me share with you my pet peeve about facebook. People who were never my friends in HS suddenly 10 years later want to be friends on facebook. REALLY???!?! We never spoke in HS , so why suddenly now you wanna "reconnect"??? Why do I care what you are up to when I know you don't really care what I'm up to either, they are just trying to get their number of friends as high as possible. Sure, I'll stalk around on blogs or facebook and see people I know, but that doesn't mean I wanna be BFF"s with them. It's just a pet peeve of mine, that's all I'm saying!
Oh, and I have no problem ignoring my kids to waste time on facebook or blogs, they are used to it by now. That is why Santa was smart enough to bring them a trampoline so they can go and play outside when I'm not paying attention to them... it's sometimes just how I get through my crazy day with them! :) lol
I have to say I agree with "the patton family" however I see old friends and you have to add them to actually you know talk to them so I do and then nothing. we found out how each other are doing then its done, so as a result I have tons of friends on there that I don't really even care about much:D However I find some really unsettling things through facebook like one of my favorite friends from Idaho when I was there just went through a divorce cause he was unfaithful.... Jerk, but yeah love it
Yeah, I have about 225 friends on Facebook, and 10-20 that I actually pay attention to and have any kind of interaction with. Sometimes I just like to go through and add people I just kind of know.
You know, you sound like we could have been friends in high school, except, being that I was a lot like you, we would have never talked to each other, and if we ever did, it would be awkward and I'd be embarrassed for talking to someone and never do it again. Am I reading too much into this?
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