Making It Up As I Go Along #437

Bombardment of Horribly Annoying Wonderfully Bonding Networking
Social networking. Bringing long distant friends and family closer to each other. With updates on how each of our days are going. With pictures of trips, shared with a loved one on the other side of the continent. With games played between uncle and nephew as if they were there, in the same room, casually arranging tiles on the board, chuckling at the scowl and mutterings of the other.

I have friends that would have drifted away years ago, and other friends who would never have drifted back into my life if not for social networking.

On the other hand, a co-worker’s baby can’t have a bowel movement without me being alerted to it.

So, as you can see, social networking is a two edged sword. Enriching some relationships. And bringing doubts and annoyance about others.

New loves? Oh you better believe that can try the patience of a facebook friend. Reading updates written in the most sacchariny sweet, vomit inducing, Fabio covered romance novel style.

New babies? Near strangers can follow their every step. Profile pictures of adult friends are overrun by bald headed infants. For a single man with over a hundred friends on Facebook, sometimes a look at my news feed makes me feel as though I’m a 38 year old in a world of diapered buddies. It makes me feel out of place... and creepy.

We’re bombarded with advertising... wherever we go. Home phones and mail boxes are now little more than devices for businesses to hope to make a buck off a moment of weakness. Social networking is no different.

Like this, become a fan of that. Everything from musical bands to books recommended by Oprah

And if you cave in, and like one thing, suddenly cyberspace learns a bit more about you, and new things are plastered upon the sides of your computer screen... perhaps you’ll like this other thing now. We now live in a world where your admitting that you like Tom Hanks movies could bring you one step closer to having your credit card information stolen. Innocent socializing opening you up to financial ruin.

Sometimes I miss the 1970s and 80s from a communication point of view. You felt a greater connection to the place you’re in. A television show was an event. If you were interested in it, you had to make not of the time and be home to watch. Many a television negotiation has been made in my youth. A grandmother needing me to give up control on a Friday because Dallas was coming on. A father missing a period of the hockey game so that a son could watch CHiPs... watching Ponch and Jon protecting California’s highways by way of motorcycle. Today it takes thirty seconds to set up a recording, and any show can be watched at any time.

Telephone calls were a hit and miss event. If they weren’t home... tough luck. If a sister was on the phone, a friend would have to wait... unable to get through to you as they stand there in the kitchen, with a great tangled chord, dangling beneath your chin. Today, I actually talk less on the phone. I look suspiciously at my home phone when it rings, expecting a heavy accent as a stranger assures me this is not a sales call, that I’ve been chosen to receive a free trip. Most of my dealings with people I know are done by way of text or e-mail... saving the talking to face to face meetings.

You’d go out with friends and not be distracted by buzzing devices as others check in on you... just to say hi. Those you communicated with were those sitting around the table. Everyone shared a greater connection.

And other times, I’m happy with the present day. If running late, I can easily drop a line to tell the other I’m on my way. Living in a different city from those you’re close to isn’t as lonely a venture. Catching up is just a few mouse clicks away.

Yes it’s a conflicting time we live in. It’s easy to be drawn in and pushed away from the same thing... at the exact same time.

SUNDAY...
— Work. Back to CPSIC on a quiet Sunday. Goes pretty good and I am not even too tired getting up at 4:30.

MONDAY...
— More tired today. Second day back to the 12 hour CPSIC shift and I’m struggling most of the day. Sometimes beds at work would be nice.
— Feeling like a cold is hitting this evening. The back of my throat has that feel to it.

TUESDAY...
— Sick day. That cold hit indeed. Throat, back of nose, sinuses... all felt it. And I even pack it in earlier tonight then I should... going to bed at 1:00, even though if I go to work on Wednesday, I’ll need to be up all night.

WEDNESDAY...
— Off sick again. Can barely talk without breaking into cough. So pretty quiet day around the house... napping, TV, not much else.

THURSDAY...
— Feeling a bit worse today than yesterday. I thought I was improving last night but I suppose not. By the time I’m ready for bed tonight, it feels a bit better again though.
— Still, grocery shopping (I was down to mustard) was tiring and I was breathing heavy for twenty minutes afterwards. Pizza ordered in is a little treat, and I watch some hockey and movies while play some video game baseball.

FRIDAY...
— Out to bring the car to the garage for some maintenance. Take the shuttle home and need to cab it back later to get the thing.
— Still feeling sick. Tired of it.

SATURDAY...
— A movie and laundry. The sickness pattern the last few days has been feel worse from the time I wake to about 3:00 in the afternoon... then things pick up making me think I’m turning a corner as the day goes... only to wake the next day feeling worse again.