Facebook Fun

What did we do before cellphones, computers, and now...facebook???

When I was in the traditional working world, I was very connected. I attended meetings of all sorts, all the time. Meetings at work, meetings for various Chambers, committee meetings, board meetings, etc., etc., etc. I would attend after-hour events and see the same people I had seen in all those meetings, but in a different environment. It was fun getting to know so many people, but difficult, too, as I was also a wife and mother, trying to run a household.

Then I left the traditional working world. I came home and started writing. I could do all manner of work while wearing pajamas and slippers. Who knew? All I needed was a computer and phone. I was set. I cut waaaaay back on the number of committees and boards I was on (besides, I wasn't a 'big fish' any more...I didn't have the money of my company behind me). It was nice to enjoy the home we had built for a change. It wasn't unusual for me to go several days without ever getting in my car and I loved it. I could put in a load of laundry, write and article and make some money. Sweet.

But after a few years, things changed. I started feeling very disconnected. I didn't see the same faces I once used to see so frequently. So I kept writing, but I also got another job, of sorts, that helped me get out of the house and back into the world. It was Southern Living at HOME, the home products division of Southern Living magazine. And I loved it! I would load up my wares in my car and go to someone's home where I'd unload them and display them on a table. Women would come in, have a glass of wine, eat a snack, visit with each other, laugh and be happy that they were out of their own homes for the evening, and they'd look at my stuff, fall in love with it, and place orders. I met so many new friends doing this!

Then, Nicole had a little accident in NY, and my life changed once again. No complaints. We started a caringbridge site and suddenly I realized that I was not as disconnected as I thought I was. Names popped up from my past faster than I could read the messages. What a wonderful thing the internet is...while we were in NY--as Nicole was fighting for her life--we were comforted by the many people we've befriended over the years. That was such a blessing for us!

Now I'm on facebook. My kids have been doing this for years, but for some reason, it has really caught on with folks my age in the past several months. I now have 422 facebook "friends." Nicole is a friend, but Joseph has ignored repeated requests. I have friends who are truly life-long friends, friends from my past whom I've reconnected with, including friends from elementary school, junior and high school, college and beyond. I have friends who are politicians, buisnessmen and women, broadcasters, actors, musicians, photographers, writers and artists. It's fun to read the comments of their everyday lives, because in doing so, I realize how much alike we all are, and sometimes, how different we are as well. I love to read about friends who are doing adventurous things, and those who are celebrating the most mundane things. More and more, it seems that folks are finding joy in the simplest of things. It's something we've learned to do a better job of doing since Nicole's accident--stopping to smell the roses.

Now that Nicole is a little more independent, I'm cranking my Southern Living at HOME business back up again. Want to host a party? Check out my website at www.southernlivingathome.com/smarquez to see our catalog. You can get the things you love the most FREE just for hosting a party, and who doesn't love a good "girl's night" in? I'm exploring additional writing options, as the income I make from my freelance writing has been my contribution to our household income. I attend events such as "Fondren After Five" and such as a way to physically connect with folks, and it's alot more fun than committee meetings, because I don't leave with a list of things to do.

And in the meantime, I'll continue logging on to my computer several times a day, checking my facebook page, and seeing what all my friends are up to at any given time.

By the way...Nicole is doing well today. The day after surgery is never as easy as the day of. She's a little sore, and generally lethargic. But she's doing well, and will be back out again in the morning to give the Bioness H200 a test drive. It's a cool new hand stimulation device that we are praying will improve her hand function. More on that later...

Blessings to all who read this!
Susan