"You have a Friend Request"
Potentially, the five most powerful & exciting words in the world of social networking. They can make your day and pretty much make you feel... well... loved. I discovered this exhilarating high back when I stumbled into Friendster, and just felt buzzed every time I could get someone to join my little cyber-"posse". Even better, when someone decided to friend me on their own... it's like "Oh my gosh, I just got asked to be their Friendster (TM)! Someone wants me!! Joy!"
Luster soon wore off on Friendster, and I soon migrated to MySpace and began "rebuilding the Empire" as it were -- that obsessive rush in the early days after creating a new profile and trying to get all the friends(ters) to defect with you. Spent a lot of time growing my circle and pimping out my space. Creating groups, joining groups, leaving groups, and getting into tons of ridiculous trouble at work. Good times.
Soon tired of all the spamming, hacking, and pages that wouldn't load because it's trying to play "Scotty Doesn't Know" (seriously, would anyone know what this song was if it wasn't on every other profile?) ... and by that time, learned that Facebook has lightened up on their immigration restrictions and would allow non-student types to join the fray. Like ME! YAY!
Frankly, I like Facebook. It's cleaner, less clutter, stricter (although this has gotten our very own Shinn into some trouble recently), and just a little more reliable. And it's catching on like wildfire, so it's been an easy go trying to "rebuild the Empire". In fact, I'm finding that a lot of the people I went to high school with are all joining, so it's been fun reconnecting with old friends, catching up with people, or even getting to know people I admittedly didn't know so well way back when.
Except I am starting to realize that something funny is going on, and I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but The Rules are starting to rear their ugly head again... and I think it's a subconscious thing. Hey, maybe it's just a me thing.
What rules, you ask?
You know which rules. The rules of social engagement that reigned supreme (in our heads or was that real?) all throughout those four wonderful years of high school. No one ever says them out loud, but you figure 'em out pretty quick by lunchtime on the third day of freshman year. Chances are, they are the same rules in effect from junior high too. Can't talk to these people or those people, and can only mingle with this group or those people over there. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, it's probably because the rules didn't apply to you. Probably because you were so high up on the pecking order, or all the way at the bottom.
So, it is a million years later, and I am so many worlds away from The Rules. At least, you'd think I was. And here I am, thirty-something-ish, and I'm like.... "Omigosh. Suzy So-and-So has just joined my network."
Twenty minutes go by while I try to decide if I will friend her. Send the friend request. Cancel it. Send it again. Cancel it. Think, "Geez, what the heck?". Send it again. Think, "Ew, is Suzy gonna be like 'Why is this loser trying to friend me? Wasn't Toni, like... in band??' ".
Cancel it.
Hahahahahaha. In your lifetime, you can go places, do things, have accomplishments, and finally get around to actually being the person you always knew you were. But sometimes, at the end of the day, we all can't help being sixteen all over again.
Don't worry about me, guys. I'm over it. Just an immaturity relapse.
Besides, I can always rent season 1 of Laguna Beach and get it out of my system.
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