Online "Friends"

A few weeks ago I made a comment on facebook.

"Considering another break from facebook.  But who would stay in touch if I did that?  If you would (seriously), I'd like to exchange email addresses.  Please PM if interested."

Notice the one kind response.

I received one PM.

I have 99 friends on facebook.  2 responded. Ten or twenty are from Ogallala and see me regularly and wouldn't really need to keep in touch via email as they know where I work and where I live and know my number even if I never gave it to them... it is Ogallala, after-all.  A handful are cousins or family who don't correspond regularly with me but could find my information if they had to.  A few had already given me email addresses my first disappearance from facebook and most likely didn't think they needed to again, which is true.

But with all of that, about half of the people who are my "friends" did not respond or show any interest at all.  Most of them I haven't spoken to, though they have "liked" a comment or picture here and there.  Some have even written a few sentences in response to something within the last couple of years.

So, I've decided that while I may keep the account open for the occasional person who has no other way of getting a hold of me, my presence there will be very, very minimal.  Because while there are some dear people on facebook, they can be dear friends in the real world, too.  Because I know what real friends are, and our messed up "like" and "dislike" society is NOT friendship.

My mom talking to me everyday about anything and everything is a friendship.
My husband and I playing games together or dancing in the living room is friendship.
Rachel driving across the country with me, or inviting me to spend a whole afternoon with her is friendship.
Mary Jane and her incredible gift of making me feel welcome and safe to open up is friendship.
Karen and I sharing our music is friendship.
The amazing and unique friendship that comes with being Danielle's running partner (the one person I'm not totally freaked out to have see me sweaty and gross!).
The ability to pick up and get to know each other again and again with Alicia is friendship.

This isn't an exhaustive list, and if you aren't  on it that doesn't mean you aren't a true friend to me.  I am blessed with many amazing people in my life who fill special places of my heart.  I recognize in myself that I am selfish in my friendships,  wanting friends that involve me instead of focusing on involving them.  I hope to be a person that fills a special place of a friends heart someday.  I hope that someday I can bless someone as much as these people have blessed me.  I don't want to just be a status update, or someone that some person I graduated is curious about.  I want to be a true friend.