Connections

Connections. So much of our life is governed by the connections we have with other people, the new connections we make, the old, it's all about connections.

I'm connected to people in a variety of ways. From connecting on Facebook with school mates, sorority sisters, friends and family, to carrying around a cell phone for texts, picture mail and, <gasp> actual phone calls.

I'm always amazed when someone says, "I don't do Facebook" and I usually ask why. Various reasons are put forth, however for the most part, what I hear is fear of exposure. Too much putting ourselves out there on the web. So, I thought to myself, what does the web have to say about me? There are 79800 different pages listed when I google my name. Some are repeated several times, (why is that?) some have absolutely nothing to do with me and my favorite? My LinkedIn personal description was written in French! What I do for a living sounds absolutely devine in a foreign language! I'm thinking about making a copy and taking it with me for my next review. However, most interesting is that any reference made to a Facebook page didn't make the list, unless it was past the first 5 pages, because honestly I got a little bored and didn't check on the pages after that.

My favorite connections are the friends I've made throughout life. Some friends stay around and some come and go. Friendships based upon kid activities are high on the list of coming and going. I've made friends through preschool, moms day out, grade school, football, basketball, swimming, dance, gymnastics, PEO, alumnae groups and the list goes on. Recently, I reconnected with one of my friends, and we picked up right where we left off. Our kids don't do the same things anymore, but our friendship is strong enough to reach past that and connect on a different level.

I have connections with influential people and people who don't know anybody. Connections with people who want to talk about jobs, world peace and yummy recipes. Sometimes, I have no connections with someone and it's really awkward. I hate those times, since according to my sister, I can talk about nothing for hours. I have connections with former coworkers, and then, there are former places of employment that I have no connection to at all.

Recently, I was connected to a second computer monitor. I love having two monitors, especially since it makes me look doubly important and busy, and really well connected. And I can keep my Facebook page open and an eye on posts while I maintain connections in the academic world.