I have made friends on FB....probably dozens of people who were connected to me through friends that have now become real and sometimes just virtual parts of my daily support system. I have seen relationships rise and fall and rise again. I have seen people find jobs, love, work... I have learned and taught; loved, laughed, angered and been provoked to action because of Facebook. I have traveled, donated, purchased items when people were in need because of what I read. I have been moved to fit of giggle and tears.
A very sad thing happened, though. In part, because of Facebook, I have lost a friend. A friend who is really struggling with the transitions and ironies in life about whom I have come to deeply care. I offended her in ways completely unintended. My opinions and means of voicing them struck a chord in her that was so unpleasant that she chose to end the relationship. And so it goes.
Who knows what the future may bring?
In the loss of interaction with a friend, and in the spirit of all of the friendships that brighten my day, I am brought back to the word of Ruiz and his "Four Agreements."
- Be impeccable with your word
- Don't take anything personally
- Don't make assumptions
- Always do your best
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3 comments:
We seem to keep running into each other on FB, though I don't think I've seen you in person in over a year. Hi there!
I'm sorry you lost a friend. I'm sure the absence of nonverbal communication had a lot to do with the way you reacted to one another - that's happened to me before. It mystifies me that as technology marches onwards, we choose channels of communication with less and less bandwidth, not more.
It would be good to see each other sometime soon...rather in 1's and 0's.
Yes, the disconnectedness of technology is some of the issue; the readiness for life is some of the rest.
It would be good to see each other sometime soon...rather in 1's and 0's.
Yes, the disconnectedness of technology is some of the issue; the readiness for life is some of the rest.
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