Life’s Curveballs

Why are sites like My Space and Facebook so popular?   A couple years ago I signed up for both My Space and Facebook but after doing so I just let them sit and did nothing with them.   I didn’t sign up any friends because I have so few close friends and didn’t think it was worth it, and besides, I’m not a very social person.

About six months ago my wife created an account on Facebook and started playing games like Pirates, Mouehunt, and Horse Racing.  She talked about it all the time and was spending exceedingly more time on the computer.  She now has friends all over the world.  She just recently exchanged a gift with someone in Australia.  I thought this was just crazy and couldn’t get my mind around it.  I then went into my old Facebook account and started playing a game called, Mafia Wars.

Mafia Wars is a very addictive game where you build your family and fight other families, virtual families that is.  I quickly went from no friends to over 300 in a few short weeks.   I then started playing Pirates and Vampire Wars too adding even more friends.  They say that 5 minutes on Facebook turns into 1 or 2 hours.  Whoever they are, it’s true, you just completely lose track of time.  I started staying up late and my life started to suffer for it.  One of my new friends calls it Face Crack because it’s so addictive.  I am now trying to wean myself from the games but it’s not going to be easy to rid myself from them completely.

One thing that I have found from this experience is that some friends that you add, like distant family members, that you don’t have that much in common with will stay that way.  I’ve sent private messages to family members and never receive a reply.  For me, this takes the social out of Social Networking.  Why have these people as friends if they won’t even talk to you.  I have since started to delete these family members from my Facebook account, and hopefully I’ll completely wean myself from the games over time.

To me this has been a good experiment but now I want my life back the way it was.  I’ll keep the complete strangers that I talk to, even if they live half way around the world, and delete the family that won’t even acknowledge my existence.

Larry

I haven’t posted on my blog since December of last year for I haven’t been moved to write anything.  It seems like I’ve been slipping on a lot of things over the last 3 months.  We all have our ups and downs but the downs have been more prevalent.  Maybe it has something to do with the climate of the country.  The economy, the loss of our retirement funds, and the general feeling of hopelessness has taken its toll on everyone and I am not protected from it.  I know that we all wonder when all of this will end but I think we are closer to the beginning than the end.  I hope that I’m wrong.

It is always difficult when transitioning from one President to another but for me it’s been especially difficult.  Going from a semi conservative President to an ultra liberal one has been difficult.  However, it could be that the changes have been coming at us too fast.  It seems that every day there is more bad news or another bail out, and every time the President speaks Wall Street sinks a little lower and we all lose.  We all need a time out and think that everyone in government needs to stand back and take a deep breath. Failure is a way of life and trying to save everyone may lead to saving no one.

Larry

It was a much simpler time in the 1950s and a time of many cherished moments.  A time of youth, a time of friendship, and a time for close family ties long passed.  I would love to travel back to that era if just for a brief visit; to savor moments a little longer.

In my memory, Christmas started for me with our annual trek to find the perfect Christmas tree.  My father and I would make our way to a few favored tree lots to find that special tree.  Pennsylvania in mid to late December can be pretty cold and I can still see and remember the smell of wood burning in old cut out oil drums as we searched the dimly lit tree lots.  What fun it was.  It wasn’t until much later in life and after looking at old photos of that time that I realized the trees were not that great.  Even knowing this now doesn’t diminish or detract from the good memories I will always cherish of being with my father on these cold nights.

The next part of Christmas that I can remember was the long wait for the big day to come.  However, the one thing that I remember most about Christmas day was when we all gathered for our Christmas meal.  My uncle and his wife would spend most of the day with us.  We played games, talked, ate, and played, talked, and ate some more.   Some 50 years later this is what I remember most.

My wife asks me the other day, “What was your favorite gift?” and I could not find an answer.  Now that I’ve given it more thought family and friends are what I think of the most.  The gifts I received are long gone and forgotten; it’s the people I still remember.

So whatever your circumstances, rich or poor, believer or non-believer, savor the times with your family and friends.  Those moments are irreplaceable.  Fifty years from now your memoirs will be of the people for they are the gifts.

Merry Christmas,

Larry

I think this pretty much says it all.

Larry