Tuesday, July 7, 2009

THOUGHTS ABOUT TWITTER AND FACEBOOK AND FRIENDSHIP

True friendship are rare, and even rarer, perhaps, in a time of Facebook and Twitter.  It used to be, with correspondence between two people, that true friendship could grow out of nothing.

What do Twitter and Facebook do in terms of friendship?  You make quick circuits into a person's life.  That can be fascinating but does it further friendship?  

The amazing thing about Facebook and Twitter is you can connect with people you haven't heard from in years and then the correspondence with that friend can begin once again.  Not in a standard way, with a pen, but with an email.

With an email you can truly begin a correspondence.  I began to think about this about a week ago because I made a new friend recently with one of my blogs.  His name is Jim.  He was exploring the Sierra's in the early 1930's so he probably is in his nineties.  He is an amazing correspondent--witty, with thoughts about the world that wouldn't occur to anyone but someone who's been around more than ninety years.

I haven't heard from him in about five days and I'm worried about him.  He told me recently that he felt lost without one of my emails to read--like something was missing, now I feel lost without one of his to read.  He went to Reno to say goodbye to a cousin who was dying.  I imagine he's busy talking with old friends and family members, but still I worry.






2 comments:

JKB said...

I hope he contacts you soon!

I think the internet is responsible for lots of my happiness, though. I met you on it!

marsh to the fore said...

Yeah, the internet did bring us together and undoubtedly a lot of others but I do worry about that guy. Still no word from him and usually, when I post, he emails me within a day or two and I posted yesterday on Glenn's brand new computer.

That trip to Reno could have turned out to be a giant family reunion. I'm hoping that's what it is anyway.