Aug 09 2008
You Say It’s Your Birthday….
Well it’s my birthday, too, yeah.
[insert guitars here]
It is a new era.
Today was my first birthday since starting a facebook account. And because I was non-private enough (I did consider this btw) to allow my birthday to be “public” for my facebook friends, they all knew.
And so today my wall on facebook was plastered with birthday greetings from people around the world who I know, most of whom I’ve actually met IRL.
This is a blessing, to be sure. Facebook (and other tools like it) can allow us to be more involved in the lives of people we see infrequently. I have been glad for the reminders of birthdays, all of which never would have made it into my MS Outlook Calendar. I have been glad for the opportunities to wish well to friends that I don’t see (as far away as Korea!) well on the anniversary of his/her birth.
I am also glad that not all of my FB friends (not to be confused with my *real life* friends, though there is significant crossover) wished me happy birthday. At that point it would have felt like FB greetings on the birthday is somehow socially obligatory, which would make all of the greetings I received worth less somehow.
Technology can be a wonderful thing, used wisely. I pray that I will learn greater wisdom in my own use of it as I enter my 40th year.
To those of you, my wife and family especially, that made this a wonderful day: thank you. I do appreciate it. It is nice to be loved, and nice on those occasions where that love is most felt.
