I recently joined Facebook. Truthfully, my co-worker convinced me to do so after much kicking and screaming on my part. Initially, I had some qualms about joining it. After all I don’t do things simply because other folks do them.  Such questions as how much time would be required to maintain it was also a concern.  First, neither my spouse nor I are big picture-takers. He bought a digital camera that we have only used once. And that was on our trip to Dallas where we visited an Active Living Community for adults over 50 considering retiring hopefully before ‘kicking the bucket’. While he and I are in a couple, most were pictures of the beautiful houses that we previewed. 

Second, the thought of appearing on Facebook with only one picture -- the one on my profile, and no other interesting stuff intimidated me. It also dredged up another social networking moment: the day that I opened my e-mail at home and it contemptuously spat out, “You only have two Buddies on your Buddy List.” Would Facebook chastise me for lack of friends or interesting pictures to share with others?  Frankly, I don’t need that drama.

On the plus side, I’ve discovered that almost all of my husband’s relatives are on FB. It’s like a virtual reunion of the United Nations.  Either former soldiers or simply military brats, many of the relatives on my husband’s side are of various races and cultures. Children of in-laws that I have not seen since they were babies or toddlers, now have children of them own. A couple are even grandparents. When did all this happen? 

Recently an acquaintance from our years of living in Okinawa made contact. I haven’t seen or heard from her in over 30 years.  She still looks the way I remember. I ponder whether I do as well?  Since then I’ve learned that like my husband, hers who also retired from the military, and has been on his second career for almost 20 years, is also contemplating retiring in another year.

Since joining FB, one thing is certain: many people spend a lot of time networking and making friends. A few of my so-called new “friends” are on every social networking site there is, and have pictures and stuff to prove it.  Seriously I don’t understand where they find the time to upload this and download that. Where do they find the time to do all the stuff in their pictures? Is this the stuff that warrants tweets? 

That I prefer reading a good book instead of making friends with strangers would not interest many. Neither would my recent culinary triumph with lemon pepper excite anyone.  My love of finding stuff by the side of the road, and how it mortifies my spouse might warrant a tweet.  Likewise, the items that I’ve transformed through decoupaging might interest a person who enjoys crafts.  Still, what bother me the most is what I’ve already begun to suspect, that when it comes to social networking, sadly I am a wallflower.