Facebook

I have a new appreciation for Facebook after a slow and reluctant start with it. When everyone was jumping on board with enthusiasm for the new social media, I hung back with my arguments and rationale. Why do I need this? I email friends I want to stay in touch with. It's too personal to put private information "out there" on the web. I don't want to spend my life connected to a computer or other technology device. What happened to living in the moment and experiencing what is going on in real life? Older people aren't spending time on Facebook.

I remember setting up my Facebook page and posting it several years ago. About a week later I panicked and took it down when I thought about the reasons I just mentioned. Then I noticed that friends and family of all ages were beginning to ask me, "Are you on Facebook?" When I got the question from someone my age or older I took notice. Not every one was holding out as staunchly as I was. So, I succumbed concluding that Facebook is all around me. Could it be that harmful? The truth is that I have this fear of being "out of date" and worse, talking about how "we used to do things". That's for people getting old. Not me. I was going to keep up with the modern world so I had better become part of the social media. This time I set up a Facebook page and have kept it.

The realization of the value of Facebook has come to me only recently. While planning our trip to Argentina this winter I began to think about going back to the neighborhood in the Buenos Aires suburb of Acasuso where I grew up. I wondered what had happened to the Harris Smith's, the Anglo Argentine family that lived across the street from us for seven years. Like my family, they had three children of similar ages, and we were in and out each others houses every day for seven years. I lost touch after my family moved when I was 12. Could I find any of them again and how? It took some finagling to find two cousins of the Harris Smith children (one is my Mother's goddaughter), who happen to live in Virginia and who gave me Teeny Harris Smith's married name. She popped right up on Facebook and I sent a message to her in Buenos Aires. She answered right away as if all those years in between had dissolved. We emailed, learned more about each other, and one of the highlights of my visit to Argentina was getting to spend time with her after 54 years. Now I check her Facebook page from time to time looking for photo updates of her large family. I don't think we will lose each other again.

Yesterday, while checking email a strange name popped up with a message from my Facebook page from Paraguay. Patricia Vega Rodriguez wrote...This is Patricia Vega. How are you and Arthur? He lived at home in Asuncion with us around 1973, I think. We always remember him and you. He loved my Mom so much and was a brother for all of us. We still keep a Christmas card with a picture of you, Art, and Hayden (1 or 2 years old).....I am lucky to find you here! We send a big hug from the Vega family from Paraguay.

The Vega's were Bolivians living in Asuncion who opened up their home to Art, when he first went to South America as a young, single teacher. He lived with them for two years while learning Spanish and was treated as a son. For years afterwards when we would talk of our early years in Paraguay Art would wistfully say "I wonder what ever happened to the Vega family?" In the past 24 hours we have had a complete update, photos, and emails from Patricia Vega, the youngest daughter and Teresa, the oldest. Wonderful, warm notes, lots of exclamation marks and the kindness and love just comes through as if we were still young and living in Asuncion. All because Patricia somehow found me on Facebook.

Today Art said wishfully "I wonder if I could find my Samoan family on Facebook". Maybe I will set him up with a Facebook page. Suddenly it seems that anything is possible. I can't wait to get my next unexpected message on Facebook.