It was a blogged day :0)

      It is as if the universe was cheering my blogging the other day.  Okay probably not but what a great thing if that happened don't ya think.  Thursday wound up being one of those days when I just look back and went Really; Are You Kidding Me; and Wow!
   Two of my recent blog topics were a part of my day. Maybe it isn't all that glorious but I did find it intriguing~ see for yourself.

  Wednesday night, as we all know, is trash day and woo hoo I found a treasure.  Cool thing is it wound up becoming a double purpose treasure find.  I have one of those bookcases you get at a box store.  It's great but needs more shelves.  I priced the shelves out and the 3 would cost me almost half as much as a new bookcase.  So driving home from church Wednesday night I see that someone has put a dresser to the side of the road.  And in my mind what do I see .... book shelves FOR FREE ( I keep hearing Adam Sandler when he says that in Bedtime Stories).  So I pull out the drawers, tear off the backing and with the help of some passing kids load this stripped down dresser into my van.  I didn't call ahead this time to warn Michael.  When I pulled up he just said ..... you're late what is in the back!!  Well not only did I get the 3 shelves I wanted for my bookcase there was enough mdf left over to build an additional and much moaned about shelf for the cabinets out in the garage!! WOO HOO.... see pictures below

     The other day I blogged about Friends and how Facebook is affecting that sphere of relationships.   While talking about the week with my Stress Therapist I brought up my Friends/FB blog.  Well it seems I am very timely in this matter as she just read an article in one of her journals about how all of this social networking is having an incredibly negative effect on relationships.  I personally believe it is going to stunt the maturity of our kids as well.  We talked about handling all the "friends" on facebook and why we feel we have any obligation to people we don't really know.  She used a phrase I really related to..... digital suicide.  Now suicide is NOT something to jest or take lightly so please read that into my musings.  We've all seen the dramas where some poor creature is incredibly wrought with life and calls 95 different friends telling them good-bye before they swallow the bottle of pills...obviously needing the attention and ruckus it sends everyone into as well as knowing/hoping someone will stop them.  How many times have you seen a post on FB... I think I am leaving FB it is all becoming too stressful?  (This is termed digital suicide) Then you see all the replies: no please don't leave, you need this, we are here for you, and so on.  Heck I've responded that way.  What absolutely amazes me is that in just these last 6 months of 2011 I have had not one, not two, but five different FB friends post something like this.  AND more than one of them has posted their digital suicide more than once.  Now I get that there are times when we do need a break from FB but guess what You don't need to announce it.  It's a bit of crying wolf.  What is going to happen when that person really is in crisis but we've all rallied 'round one too  many times?  Too many people are using FB as their therapy and how many of us really are little more than arm-chair therapists?  People posting recurring digital suicide truly need professional help and when we feed their needs we are simply becoming enablers. Well the rest of the session we worked on my recurring issues with apshasia, oh how frustrating that is.  The session ended with my therapist encouraging me to pursue writing more than just blogs (um..NO)
     Before getting ready to head out to the movies I got on-line.  Checking on my blog I saw that there was a comment attached to my latest posts.  It seems that someone whom I had unfriended read my blog and knew it was all about her.  How she really is my husband's friend and she would leave me alone.  You know what, I'm OK with that. I deleted her comment as I didn't think mentioning a mutual friend was appropriate or necessary.  While my family has grown accustomed to being mentioned in my blog I don't and won't mention other people by name unless it is with a sense of  fun.   .
   My day ended on a wonderful up note.  My friend Jane found out that Stephen Sondheim's CompanyOnScreen was playing here in town.  How many times have you watched the preview for an "EVENT" while sitting at the movies and think to yourself, I'd like to see that.  Well this time I finally got to attend an Event!!  It was absolutely wonderful.  Neil Patrick Harris is incredible as Robert. His supporting cast featured  Martha Plimpton, John Cryer, Steven Colbert and the sensational Patti Lupone.  I am unashamed to say that I applauded as if I was sitting at a live performance :0)

                       Side by Side from CompanyOnScreen                                                                    Trailer for Company

The reality of it all

    I'll be honest I'm writing this blog with a bit of attitude.  I am just tired of accepting certain things as reality when well they're simply not.  However I also realize this perception of reality has been considerably altered by technology.
     Quick think back to when you were growing up, who was your best friend.  Maybe there was a group of you, 3 or 4, that were inseparable.  Those were your best friends.  They were the ones who always knew what kind of candy you wanted for the movies.  They treated your siblings with the same love or disdain as you did.  They were probably pretty constant throughout the years.  You may have had a best friends necklace, the heart one that broke in two and boy was that special...However you weren't writing I Love You everywhere.  You probably didn't hug every time you left each other.  Nor were you declaring you were BFF's every chance you got.
     I don't understand today's generation's definition not only of Best Friend but simply of friend.  First the best friend issue.  How many do they need?  Do they really think someone out there is keeping score for the big trophy?  If they share more than 5 minutes of communal air they need to declare they are friends,  I blame facebook for a lot of it.  Then the BFF issue! If you are FB friends with a teenager look at their different lists.  They have best friends, bestest friends, people they can't live without. It is almost as if they are afraid that if the relationship doesn't have a classifier in front of it than it can't be real.  Drives me absolutely bananas.
     We spend a lot of time on "The Tube" last summer when we were in London.  One of the favorite stories from those rides is of two little girls.  Each was with their father and about 4 years old.  They were sitting across from each other in a fairly empty car when one of them shouts in her sweet little British voice ~ "Won't you be my friend?".  They went on to play Monster chase until one left, sharing a sweet little hug before leaving the car.  For the rest of the trip every now and then someone would repeat "Won't you be my friend".  The girls giggled and entertained those on the tube that morning and when they parted their friendship ended.  Their "friendship" was for the moment, it served a purpose and was done,  Why do we feel the need that once we share the slightest time with someone there's an obligation to maintain that connection?
    According to research the human brain can hold about 150 meaningful relationships in their head.  This number is actually called the Dunbar number.  NPR did a great story on Dunbar's Number last week.  Your family members are a part of the 150, so really not leaving alot of room when you add co-workers, neighbors and such.  Well thanks for FB we don't actually have to hold all those relationships in our head, they're stored right there on our profile for us.
   Now I'll admit I have more than 150 FB friends.  I have my real friends then I have a group of friends simply for playing Monopoly (yes I have a problem that will be another blog). I am very selective who I even play games with and those people are blocked from seeing anything on my wall that isn't related to the game.  Granted I had to learn how to really tweak my privacy features to do that but I've got it down. 
  So now that we're all reconnecting with EVERYONE from high school, regardless if we actually did more than sit behind them in science, we're also connecting with mutual friends, spouses of friends even friends of our spouses.  So here is where my questions begin:

• Where does the line get drawn?
• Which friends can you really be honest friends with ?
• Which people are willing to put up with your nonsense for a reasonable amount of time adn then call you on it? 
• Are you comfortable in calling people out on their stuff? 
• Should FB create an acquaintance only page?

      See here's my spin on it all.  I am glad, really glad, to friend someone.  I've even been introduced to others through facebook and a rare few have worked out great and I enjoy posting with them.  BUT I am tired of feeling obligated to tolerating someone's mess when the reality is we're not really friends in the first place.  If we met there's a strong change we wouldn't be friends. The kind solution is to simply "block all by ??" nope that's not me... I have NO problem hitting the unfriend button.  Goodness gracious the way people react when you unfriend them you'd think I ran over a basket of kittens simply because I don't want to be your cyber friend anymore!  99.99% of Cyber friendships do not = reality

     The pastor of our church believes in the number 5 when it comes to small groups.  Using your hand he explains you can only be responsible for 5 people at a time, yourself included.  Think of how you make a fist, your thumb/you protectively covers the other 4 fingers/friends.  What a tight and strong group that becomes.

    Won't you be my friend.... mmmm maybe not.

You hear this whenever the doors open

The lines are color coordinated so you don't get on the wrong train Yellow= Circle Line

Just chilling on the Underground