Friendship in the time of Facebook

So....when I was at work last night I found myself composing the blog that I have meaning to get to for a week. Subject:books. I have read three good ones, one of them was particularly great! One of the other ones was about Polygamy so, needless to say, I have A LOT of material.

Then I saw a new friend walking up the hill by my work. We just happened to have dinner plans for this week and was just firming up our plans. She came over to chat and asked if this was where I work.....We talked about a few other things, finished planning dinner and off she went. It struck me later in the evening what I found interesting about that particular question and it came to me.....Facebook! Even though we have only met a couple times and have yet to hang out formally there is already a familiarity that you can only have with a near stranger in this day and age. It amazed me that you can know so much and so little about someone just by being friends on facebook. It goes the other way as well....how many of us have run into someone who we are "friends" with on facebook only to fine the interaction awkward and uncomfortable.....

I liken it to "dating" or "courting" new friendships. You meet somewhere..... your interest in each other is piqued. You ask the million dollar question "do you facebook?" Perhaps you actually remember their name when you get home (I very rarely do) and "friend request" them. Again, I liken that to being asked out on the first date... the casual "are you interested?" The once friendship has been confirmed you get to look around their page (snoop.) Pictures, videos. comments, groups, blogs.... then comes the commenting. And the reciprocal commenting until you are chatting back and forth like you grew up together.

Then comes the next step. Actually meeting and hanging out. This to me is the interesting part because there is already such familiarity...you have seen the pictures of them taken minutes after giving birth and if you are really lucky they have posted the video. Where do you go over coffee from there? "Well, uh....I just wanted you to know that from the looks of it they really did a great job piecing your episiotomy together."

I jest....but only a little. However you can have all the familiarity in the world and it will mean nothing without it. Chemistry. It is that "zip" that makes a relationship tick. It doesn't matter how much time you spend bantering with someone in the cyber world. It doesn't matter what you have in common or how much fun the person looks like they are from the pictures they post....there has to be some kind of friendly magic that brings these new relationships from being screen to being seen. I am always excited at this prospect. New relationships of any kind are fun. The getting to know you part....except....you kinda skipped because you got to know each other on facebook. Damn....did I just discredit my entire this entire post?

I feel the need to go back and proof read.... I must be going crazy or something. I think I might actually spell check this one just for fun!