Facebook Finds
January 23, 2009 at 7:45 am | Posted in memory lane | 37 CommentsThe thing with not blogging per my usual schedule is that when I sit down to actually write something, everything feels backed up. It’s like when you’re waiting in an abhorrently long line at the grocery store and a new cashier calls over the next person and everyone stampedes over. “Me first! I’m next!” they cry out with their body language.
Hey, you can’t ALL be next. Somebody better start telling the truth.
So let’s take this one thing at a time starting with last night. I was sitting with a friend at a new local hot spot when someone caught my eye. He looked familiar but I couldn’t place him. I stared at him. He stared at me. We cocked our heads, thinking. Then he quizzically said my name and I tentatively said his and we both nodded in affirmation and then hugged.
This guy is someone I went to elementary school with. I am turning thirty-six in three months so it’s been a loooooooong time since I last saw him. If it weren’t for the wonder of Facebook, we would never have recognized each other. Or even known we lived in the same city. I turned to introduce him to my friend and guess what? They used to be neighbors!
Seattle is a very big small town.
Speaking of Facebook, last week I received an email on there from an ex I have not spoken to in almost seven years. The message claimed he just wanted to say hello. It mentioned something about hoping Seattle was good and how he is moving to the east coast. I didn’t even know where he was living or what he was doing. Last I heard, he married the girl he dated after me (which is a scenario that plays out FAR too often in my life). He obviously looked for me but the reason why alludes me. Just totally random and weird. I wrote back a few sentences then he responded with a couple and then it just . . . ended. Sort of like our former romance.
There’s one thing we can thank him for though- he’s the one who nicknamed me Sizzle.
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Facebook is an amazing tool! I just had a friend from childhood find me through facebook. We were best friends from ages 5-9 before she moved away. I don’t know how she found me or if she specifically looked for me but it was so random and very cool at the same time.
I read your the blog on your snapshot….your ex sounds like a real tool for the way he treated you. That’s the one down side to facebook….people you don’t necessarily want to talk to you can track you down!
Comment by Gina— January 23, 2009 #
Facebook has been great in that I’ve found friends of mine from elementary school whom I actually really like. Plus I keep up with friends from grad school whom I adore. But I’ve actually dropped quite a few so called “friends” because we just don’t have anything in common and we really were never friends to begin with. I just know them and they know me.
As for my ex? I would never “friend” him. You are braver than me.
Comment by Marie— January 23, 2009 #
Really cool about seeing your elementary school friend again! That’s definitely a huge plus about Facebook. It’s amazing to think of how pervasive its impact is, around the world…all of the interpersonal networks it is (re)assembling. Re: your ex-boyfriend–it’s incredible how true tendencies and character traits often remain so hidden, and only emerge after some time. It’s such a tricky (and troubling) part of dating. But I see no alternative other than–if things seem right, initially–giving the benefit of the doubt, and jumping in…It’s difficult, though, for sure.
Comment by Maija— January 23, 2009 #
Facebook is a scary, scary place sometimes. Seriously.
Comment by Jess— January 23, 2009 #
Wow. it is a small world. I have not really gotten into Facebook. Glad that it works for you to find old friends.
Comment by Ashleigh— January 23, 2009 #
It’s kind of cool that I’ve been able to get back in touch with various people from high school and college on Facebook, though without feeling like this overwhelming obligation to type out an e-mail catch up. Sometimes when I’ve been in Cap Hill, I see someone that “might” be you and then it turns out not to be when I see them closer. I have this feeling we’re going to eventually meet accidentally like that.
Comment by Becky— January 23, 2009 #
Huh. You’re just about a month older than I am, I see (May of 1973 for me).
Comment by Joseph J. Finn— January 23, 2009 #
Facebook is awesome and weird all at the same time. I love the name Sizzle – it suits you perfectly!
Comment by Angella— January 23, 2009 #
I love how even the though the world is such a big place, you still have these chance, magical encounters from time to time!
Comment by kilax— January 23, 2009 #
Up to yesterday I thought FB was brilliant. Yes, I had some skeletons come out of the closet through it, but all and all the balance was always positive. Until yesterday. I found out my ex is getting married this coming May and surprisingly enough to me I was shock, stunned and left to be out of sorts all day. FB can be a very tricky place, especially when one is not prepared for unsolicited news.
Comment by Jen— January 23, 2009 #
I’ve seen people I hadn’t seen since middle school who I recognize through Fbook but as I am still a few days shy of 21, it’s not nearly as impressive.
Comment by Kendall— January 23, 2009 #
Gasp! You mean that’s not your real name???
Comment by wordnerd— January 23, 2009 #
Well, I just added my boss as a friend… I’m not sure what I think of that. I may take him off at a later date.
Funny, one of my coworkers said she didn’t want to add me as a friend because she’s afraid of what I might think. (Odd what people think of you at work.) However, I’m 99.9 per cent sure that I couldn’t hold her in much lower regard than I do now.
Anyway, facebook has become a bit political on this… so go off and scandalize my wall would you?
Comment by Nat— January 23, 2009 #
I can’t tell you how many people I am the “second last girlfriend” of. I feel like I prepped them all for the real thing.
Annoying.
Comment by Princess of the Universe— January 23, 2009 #
Seattle, The Biggest Little City in the World!
what? that’s taken?
Well then, Seattle, The Littlest Big City in the World!
®
Comment by jonb— January 23, 2009 #
I love facebook and need to enroll in a 12 step program for it!! I have reconnected with so many people from my past and it is amazing to see how well some have done and how great they look and well how others lets say… did not age so well!! Ha Ha !!
Comment by Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer— January 23, 2009 #
I am still on the fence with facebook…I actually did not put my former last name on because I just am not really ready to deal with people from long ago looking me up. I don’t have anything bad in my past, but people who don’t know my married last name? I am just unsure of whether I would enjoy reconnecting or if it would just sort of feel like a hassle. My best friend teases me about it and says I’ll add it eventually when curiosity gets the best of me. We’ll see.
Comment by tori— January 23, 2009 #
They leave you for the “real one”?? Welcome to my world darling ;o)
So far I haven’t had too many scares on FB, but it’s only a matter of time!
Comment by Penelope— January 23, 2009 #
I absolutely LOVE Barrio. If you haven’t already you need to have the Dulce de Leche Creme Brulee, I am pretty sure its low calorie…that’s what I tell myself anyway!
Comment by Christy— January 23, 2009 #
Haven’t succumbed to Facebook yet, but I’ve totally had a guy marry the girl after me. Actually, he was engaged to the girl before me too, so a quasi marital sandwich with roommate messiness thrown in for good measure. Sigh. As far as I know, they still live in my old apt. in LA which irks me more than anything else.
Comment by claire— January 23, 2009 #
You might want think about things in a different light. You could be the one that married one or more of those SOBs, and then you’d really be up a creek.
Comment by Gramps— January 23, 2009 #
Facebook is equal parts amazing and annoying. I’ve rediscovered several of my old friends, and they’ve become good friends again. I’ve also had the “too much information” scenario play itself out.
On a different note, your first paragraph was BEAUTIFULLY written. I knew exactly how you felt. So there’s that!
Comment by abbersnail— January 23, 2009 #
I really never got on the facebook craze. I think cos I was lucky I found my old school friend via myspace and she’s honestly the only person I wasn’t in touch with who I’d want to get back in touch with from the past. The people who’ve walked out of my life I’d happily never see again ;)
I totally get the small-world thing, though. That seems to happen all the time! It’s getting quite spooky.
Comment by Ys— January 23, 2009 #
Love knowing where you got the name!
By the way, thanks for starting the 5 questions meme. I picked it up from X and it was most fun.
Comment by Mayberry Magpie— January 23, 2009 #
facebook is a crazy one i tell you. i have definitely discovered friends from the past on there too, it’s ridiculous.
Comment by katelin— January 23, 2009 #
That’s strange to have an ex contact you so randomly.
By the way, have you told readers the origins of Sizzle yet? Or is that a secret???
Comment by Larissa— January 23, 2009 #
Yeah I found a couple of guys I went to High School with through Facebook, or was it MySpace? I don’t use either enough to remember!
Comment by Mik— January 23, 2009 #
Funny you blogged about Facebook. One of the other blogs I read wrote about Facebook today also! I’d really not heard of it until a friend got me into it about a month ago – I had NO IDEA that seemingly everyone in the world is on it except me! I have also found old friends on it.
Comment by Lisa— January 23, 2009 #
That write-up about Scoots is a good read. Why don’t you send him a link and see what he says? It might be good for some blog fodder. :-)
Comment by ian in hamburg— January 24, 2009 #
I will never understand how our brains work that we can look at someone we haven’t seen in 25+ years and know that we know them and finally figure it out… and I have trouble remembering the names of people at work that I see every day. WTF?
Comment by kapgar— January 24, 2009 #
It’s funny, I say almost the same thing ALL THE TIME about my city: “Portland is a small town masquerading as a big city.” And with the Internet it’s getting smaller all the time.
(It still takes me the same amount of time to walk to the grocery store, though.)
Comment by Iron Fist— January 24, 2009 #
That’s exactly why I’m NOT on Facebook. Stalker ex-boyfriends suck.
Comment by Momo Fali— January 24, 2009 #
Seattle IS a very big small town! I loved that about Seattle.
Facebook can be a blessing or a curse and is usually both at the same time. You seemed to have experienced both. I’d say you are the winner coming away with the name Sizzle. It’s a very sparkly name!
Comment by Vanessa— January 25, 2009 #
I’m one of those who think Facebook is bloody useful and bloody annoying all at once. I do find it entertaining when people who wouldn’t give me the time of day back in High School suddenly want to befriend me on Facebook ;-)
Comment by Kevin Spencer— January 26, 2009 #
Weird. One of the new hot spots here is named Barrio, too. Also, I ran into a guy from high school a few months ago who I would not have recognized either had he not just Facebook friended me that week.
Are you me, Sizzle?? (No, clearly not.) :-)
Comment by Stefanie— January 26, 2009 #
If Seattle is truly a very big small city, why haven’t we run into each other yet? Please tell me why we haven collided yet Sizzle.
Comment by egan— January 27, 2009 #
So is it a ‘bad thing’ to look up one’s Exs on FB? I have done it, out of curiosity, bad haven’t found any of them.
Comment by remember moments— March 11, 2009 #