I’m old school, no doubt about it. That’s not the same as old-fashioned, by any means. It simply means I enjoy doing some things “by hand,” and I value quite a few age-old customs and traditions.
One of those things I truly enjoy is having honest-to-goodness “face time” with friends. A year ago, I reached out individually to a dozen—yes, 12—women from my Facebook “friends list.” I invited each one to meet for coffee, lunch, or a walk on the boardwalk. My goal was to get out of the isolation of the keyboard and engage in actual conversation. (Remember conversation?)
So how many of those women do you suppose took me up on meeting “up close and personal?”
If you guessed “None,” you are correct. So what’s up with that? Why was everyone “too busy” or asked me for a rain check that within a whole year, was never redeemed? What has happened to the Coffee Klatch? (Does anyone even remember the Coffee Klatch?)
So I’m throwing down the gauntlet with this challenge: Get the hell off of Facebook and go interact with living P E O P L E. And don’t you dare take your dumb phone into the coffee shop! No texting! Nothing but f2f. (It’s worse than I thought if you instantly knew that f2f meant face-to-face.)
Yes, I’m well-aware that today is December first, the start of what is traditionally the busiest month of the year. Do it anyway. Make time for human connections. Feel the endorphin rush of a real hug, and experience a genuine “LOL” in person.
Fill your life with friends, not mouse clicks!