Guest Post: Mimi speaks, part II

In Part I of GC Brawler's thesis about Facebook, she quipped about her addiction to Facebook games.  Here is the second installment.  This time it's personal.  

Click here if you missed Part I.

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The Joys and Foibles of Social Networking - Part II

By my mom, aka Mimi, aka GC Brawler, aka Badass Kas

Thinking about how my life has changed since Facebook has been an eye opener.

I am able to see, without being in close proximity, the wonderful friends my daughter has in her life.  Friends are the presents we give ourselves, so way to go, Dani.  It says a lot about the person you have become.  Facebook has also shown me that she's not only funny in person and in day-to-day life, but also in print.  Her "drawer-ings" are priceless.  Just as priceless are the pictures of her father in a kilt.

When folks leave a job or town, there are always promises of staying in touch.  We all mean that, too.  But for the most part, it doesn't happen.  Life gets busy.  How long would it have been before I got to see my oldest and bestest bud's first grandchild back in Illinois??  With Facebook, it was one day.

I otherwise wouldn't know that my fifth grade boyfriend is still pretty much the same nice, intelligent guy he was when he bought me that ring.  I got to see pics of his house, wife and kids.  Wonderful people and good souls I met in high school.  People I haven't seen in 40 years...I know what their kids look like.  I learned it seems we change so much but in the grand scheme of things, not so much.  I'm blessed to have them all back in my virtual life.  (I also stumbled across my nasty ex's wife.  DOH!)

It's amazing to know that I have become friends, yes, actual friends, with people from all over the world.  There's the Hispanic couple whose life and posts read like an episode of I Love Lucy.  They are deeply in love.  And I love them.  When they went to see Lady Gaga, she had to put the beat down on some chick who was acting up on her husband.  He bragged about it the next day.  Sorry to have missed the visual.  It still made me LOL.  Really.  I did.  When he deployed to the war we are fighting, I worried for both of them.  He's back, safe at home once again.

I have now a vast knowledge of new (to me) and different cultures.  For example, I've learned that the Turks are very much into their music.  I know more Muslim DJs than another other kind.  I may not know their family lives, but I do know they are passionate about their music.  And their God, fans and peoples.  I didn't even know what "trance" music was before them.  They include me, because I think it's fun for them to share and introduce new music.  I show my appreciation.  You don't have to understand the lyrics to get it.  Music is a universal language.  

During Ramadan, an adopted son sent me pics and videos of some very beautiful things and traditions.  He taught me about his culture.  He was also the link to the man that made me stop saying, "I'll never get married again."  Yep.  I found my husband-to-be on Facebook!!!  LOL!  Literally LOL!  I am so blessed by this, I cannot make a joke here.  I witnessed a freakin' revolution (in Tunisia) firsthand by folks living it!!!  During the revolution, Facebook was my only means of contacting my friends in Tunisia.  No email worked.  No mail got in or out. 

And speaking of sons, I am the adopted mother of my son Collin's best friend from high school.  (Collin passed away in 1993.)  We are "together" frequently on this social media.  I know what his wife and kids look like.  I know he likes to fish, he likes music and big trucks.  He loves his family more than life, and he genuinely loved my son.  We are bonded.  I also know that he's got a huge heart which fits with his ginormous body, and that he's pretty damn funny too.

I get to see my niece and her huge family in pictures and posts.  Before Facebook, it had been years.  Our family is quite damaged actually.  I would not have known which kid went with which name if not for this. They are a great bunch!  She's a good mom.

Most of all, I laugh more.  This is hard to imagine, but I do.  "When I hear stop, my brain says hammertime." Bahahahahahaha!  The world is chock-full of funny, intelligent, talented people.  Try to remember that the next time you are at work and the village idiot speaks up.  Somehow, knowing that keeps me from having a violent picture in my head. 

So here we are.  People I don't know and will probably never meet are reading this.  How freakin' cool is that??