little things

  I still enjoy Facebook despite all the drama and negativity associated with it. Yes, despite all the ads, the snarky comments and all of that. I'm still amused by a portion of it. I do like seeing the pictures posted by friends and family. I like reading about their adventures and the little things of everyday life. Recipes appear that look delicious and the crafts of others too. It's a running joke about people over sharing on Facebook. It's funny because it is true. I'm especially guilty of that, as my wife says, you put everything on Facebook. Yeah, I pretty much do. You could say that is a sad testament and not be wrong. I prefer to think of it as sharing the joy of living. It truly is the little things, the moments in life, that inspire and uplift us all. 

 It is very difficult to convey the spontaneity in life on Facebook. That's simply because you have to explain the situation, set up the story. Unless you are a screenwriter (get it) that is hard to do. The majority of things I share on Facebook are those little moments in life that amuse me. Take yesterday for instance. my wife got poked with a pencil. She says, I could get lead poisoning and we both are laughing hysterically. It's hard to explain why it was so funny at that moment, but it was. We both remembered our parents saying that to us and believing it. It was just so silly. But those are the moments I'm talking about. A good number of these blogs are concerned with just that, moments in time, remembrances, both funny and sad. In modern parlance, I'm sharing. 

 Sometimes I'm successful and sometimes not so much. Take the pencil remark. Some found it funny while others felt the need to explain the science. Their responses were a reaction to their present situation or circumstance, their mood. It's the same with every post, all depends upon the reader. We all have those "inside" jokes, those things that amuse you when you are in the know. All I had to do was turn to my sister and say, "it's muggy" and that would elicit a round of laughter. Nothing more would need to be said, it was a joke between us. I recall being at Walmart with the grandkids. We were checking out when someone asked, what time is it? My immediate response, accompanied by a dance was, it's hammer time! Made myself and the cashier laugh, the kids not so much. Grandpa! How embarrassing. Happens that way on Facebook sometimes as well. Oh well, I'm just who I am.

 I think the secret to Facebook is realizing that whatever you post is an offering. Others are under no obligation to accept that offering. There will be times when they do, times when they don't. Don't get too upset, too disappointed when you don't get the reaction you are expecting. You can feel sorry for others, display empathy and understanding for their shortcomings, but don't expect to convert them all to your point of view. Not saying you shouldn't try, that's an amusement as well. There are times I consider it a social obligation! 

 It really is all about context. That is what is usually missing in written posts and comments. The problem being by the time you write the context you have lost the audience. We all see those posts that start with, this is a little long, but. That is usually followed by some attempt to keep you reading. The hope there is you will read the context of the story, the boring part. We all just want to get to the punchline. Comedic one-liners, zingers, are always popular. There are because we already understand the context, no set up required. Henny Youngman and Rodney Dangerfield made a living off those one-liners. How do you make Holy water? You boil the hell out of it! Yeah, funny stuff alright, not much thought required, the lazy man's joke.

 Personally, I do find the little things that others share the most entertaining. Those are the things that make connections. All the little pieces it takes to complete the whole, like a jig saw puzzle. You might get a good idea of what it is before it is completed but surprises await, and one missing piece can spoil the whole picture. I want to know what makes you laugh; makes you cry; and makes you angry. Lately many people have started discarding the puzzle for a piece exposed rather than what is missing. That is to say the one comment, the one statement, that causes them to abandon everything else. It's interesting to note that the word person comes from the Latin word persona. Persona was the name of the mask an actor spoke through while performing. It is possible to have a persona different from your person! Lots of them on Facebook. You really do need to know the context of the play. All the little things, the details in the background will reveal that.