Facebook, Facebook, Facebook. I spend too much time on it, chances are, you do too. Why? In my case I have a self employed business that puts me in front of a computer screen more often than I would like in a year where I will turn the big 6-0. That and I will place a little blame on my Google Nexus phone. So I look at it as a reprieve from more tedious duties. When I worked two summers at a co-working environment in California about five-six-years ago it was among 200 or so high-tech techies, way smarter than me. So I was somewhat dumbfounded and surprised as I’d cruise around this corporate culture of self employed individuals, with the vibe of a Silicon Valley start-up, to see the Facebook web site on so many computer terminals. I never did that, I was paying for the right to have a cramped work space. I was there to work, not play. I’m not surprised now as I look back on the scene, then.

But, I like to think I am a glass 1/2 full guy more than the converse so here is my case, my opening and closing argument for Facebook. You are the jury. We’ll add a poll too.

Facebook can change your life. It has changed mine. It was through Facebook that I recognized a last name of one of my two favorite basketball coaches back in High School. I asked him if he was related. He was. My old coach named Chic was a former USF All Star baseball player and was my new Facebook friend’s father. One of my 300+ Facebook friends is Chris. I shared stories with Chris on Facebook messages about his Dad. Among them, one where my coach and his Dad was driving a car with me and my teammates back from a basketball tourney in Yreka, California. It was snowing, the roads were icy. We were slip sliding along. I actually put my seat-belt on in mid-trip, because of the sliding. We fishtailed as a semi-trailer truck came at us in the other direction. It could have been worse. We ended up in a snow bank but the seat belt came in handy. We all had ours on.

Chris and I are pretty good Facebook friends. We share more than a few things in common, including a sense of adventure and a similar sense of humor. He gave me the phone number of his Dad and told Chic that I would call. I didn’t call right away but when I did, he was expecting the call and we had a nice conversation. I had taken a trip to my old home town for the specific purposes of visiting my two former coaches, both of whom were 75 years old at the time. This was September, 15th, 2012. That visit led to my first ever published article in my old hometown newspaper, The Auburn Journal. They put Footprint in the title. You can read that article, if you like, by clicking the picture below:

Kevin Cummings with Placer High School legendary basketball coach, Tom Barry.

Chris and I shared a special time in a special town, Auburn, California. We both lived a short walk from the Auburn Recreation Center where we both spent countless hours, playing sports, table tennis, swimming, hanging out and having fun. We both played four years of basketball in the best High School Gymnasium west of the Mississippi, The Earl Crabbe Gym.  Decades later we both have taken the road less traveled when compared to many of our old High School friends and mates. Chris runs his own business in Seoul, Korea. I run my internet business much of the time from Bangkok, Thailand. We are friends now, but we have yet to meet. He is welcome here anytime and I know he’d put up with me for at least 72 hours, anyway.  We will meet, I am sure of it. There is an All Years Reunion in Auburn in the summer of 2015. Chris plans to go and so do I.

I met Chris through  Facebook. And a lot of good things happened because of that. Case closed.

Is Facebook addictive? Yes. Could I spend less time on it. I could. Am I glad I joined in 2009? I am. Did I watch my one minute video, one too many times. Probably.

How about you? Have you got a Facebook friend story that stands out and makes it all worth while? How do you feel about Facebook?

Here is a poll. We’ll run it for four days.