Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Social Network "Friends"

“It takes a long time to grow an old friend.”
John Leonard

As the author of Life with McDuff: Lessons Learned from a Therapy Dog, I’ve been told that I should be on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace. I’m informed it would be good for book sales. I decline to participate except on a few business-related sites such as LinkedIn and Henderson Chamber of Commerce. Personally, I believe the amount of time I’d spend connecting with “friends” would adversely affect my marketing and promoting in other targeted areas. However, if you have the spare time and enjoy connecting and reconnecting with old classmates, childhood friends and the likes, by all means go for it.

Tell the truth. Would you really want to be friends with Charlie Sheen, Lady Gaga, or Paris Hilton? Like so many other things in our culture the word “friend” has taken on a whole new meaning.

To have a few true friends in a lifetime is rare. I’ve been blessed with many. Friends travel fifty miles to sit with you at your mother’s wake; friends stay in constant touch down through the years; friends never forget your birthday; friends encourage and support you even in your hair-brained endeavors; friends help you pack up and move cross country even though they want you to stay; and friends tell you what’s truly important in their lives instead of every mundane thing that they do.

I write about my friends in the book chapter, “Go West, Young Scottie.” Even though I am far away from them, we share deaths, births, illnesses and photos without being on Facebook, Twitter or Myspace. In my opinion, nothing beats unlimited minutes cell phone calls.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

And I'm with you, Judy! Nothing like a good phone call ... less chance for misunderstandings caused by a comment written in careless haste.

We may not talk often, but when we do, we're guaranteed supportive and meaningful conversation, as well as a good laugh or two. :)

Thanks for being a "true" friend.

Judy McFadden said...

Back at you, Annie. :)