'What's on your mind?'

..... is a question that everyone who is connected with Facebook sees each time they go to the site.... and it never fails to cause me to pause. Invariably, I draw a blank because what, indeed, IS on my mind..... and don't forget to start your answer with the word 'is' because if you don't, what you eventually write will end up not making sense....

I must confess ~ I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook.... and if anybody had told me that I would be writing about it this morning, at the very least I would have been somewhat dubious.... it's the subject that popped into my head though, when I came to my blog..... so here it is.

Facebook is a wonderful communication tool but can become pervasive or even intrusive in nature, if one is not careful. On occasion I have a falling out with Facebook and walk away for a day or a week, sometimes more. The problem is that for me, at any rate, guilt starts creeping in because I know my friends will wonder where I am, and some may even worry ..... which makes me feel even worse and as each day passes that I don't log in, so mounts the guilt until finally, I give in, and wham - I'm hooked again and it is like I've never left.

It is rewarding, however, to be able to share my photos, for example, and then have a conversation about them with individuals who are in Quebec, Bowen Island, Victoria and the West Coast, all the while sitting quietly in the comfort of my own home....

Facebook is also a very helpful tool with which to communicate with friends who are going through challenges - sometimes that friend is you - and how wonderful it is to see how many people care for the friend and are 'there' giving support.

I can keep in touch with family touring Italy, or working in England, friends in Australia, south of the border, Quebec..... places beyond ...

Finally, Facebook has provided me with the opportunity to reconnect with the players of my youth, some of whom at the time were often seen by me through a prism of immaturity, insecurity, and frequently, misunderstanding. Now, after facing the challenges and rewards that represent 39 years since we graduated together, I have been able to revisit my past, and now meld parts of it into my present. I am not only learning about some past misconceptions, I'm learning who these newly made friends really are - with some surprises! Sharing our life stories together, we are now moving forward with greater understanding of each other.... based not only upon our past but are strengthened with a maturity brought about through lessons we've learned in almost 40 years of living... I am eager to continue forging these friendships as we move forward.

Finally, and alas, I am finding out more about me.... What a challenge.... but equally rewarding.

In the end, for all the negative things one can say about Facebook, I guess it does have its rewards.

In closing, a very Happy Birthday to my dear friend, my Little Sis Melanie.

Thanks for listening.