It never ceases to amaze me – this modern technology thing called the Internet.  It started out innocently enough with the home computer and email.  Then came chatrooms where you could meet people online with similar interests and such.  I never “chatted” with anyone.  To me, it was still new and scary.  However, my boss met his wife online something like 15 – 20 years ago.  This was long before Internet dating sites started popping up everywhere.  Then came the explosion of the Blogs.

I’ve usually run about a year behind the times with each of these new technologies, but I do eventually find them and wrap my arms around them and love them gently.  Such is the case with the blog.  Blogs had been around a couple of years before I was prodded into checking it out.  In my conflict of Old School thinking and my love of New Technology, I was a little apprehensive about such a thing.  But when I was assured that it wasn’t a new version of online dating, I jumped in.

Now enter Facebook.  I joined this reluctantly too, but goodness the faces that have appeared from the past!  What fun it has been!!  So many friends from back in my high school days are on Facebook and we’re now “friends” again.  It’s been more than thirty years, but having moved away 24 years ago, I haven’t seen these people since back in the day.  So what a treat it is to see them again. . . well, pictures of them.  Close enough.

What got me started on this is a picture that my friend, Jimmy, posted on Facebook this week of my friend, Marty, and I in 1978. SO many moons . . . and wrinkles ago.  Look at those baby faces!

Boy, did that bring back memories!  Such a happy time!  Not that I’m not happy now.  Oh contraire.  I just remember being so young and so innocent and unassumingly HAPPY.  I LOVED my friends!  But seriously people, where were the 70’s Fashion Police?  I should have been ticketed for those glasses alone.  I think the only thing that’s separating me from the 60’s Flower Child is a flower in my hair.

This is Marty and I today. . . still friends after all these years, although I have not physically SEEN him since Dec. 29, 1983.  Yeah, I remember the date.  I’m a girl and that’s what we DO.

To add to this, I honestly stumbled on my old neighbors from that same year just a couple of weeks ago on Facebook as well.  ALL of my old friends were coming together again.

This is the Greene brothers, Johnny, Jim and Robert.  Jim and I were in the same class.  Johnny a year younger (we didn’t hang out much).  Then Robert, the baby, although he hardly LOOKS like a baby (he hung out at my house a LOT because of my sister).  I remember him at 13 being 6 feet tall and 170 pounds of solid muscle.  Even with him being two years younger during those tender teen years, I didn’t mind him hanging around cuz he was always so sweet and funny and entertaining (he could do that dance, the Robot, like nobody’s bidness).  Oh yeah, and he was easy to look at too.  They were a good looking set of brothers. . . and neighbors.  Yeah, my view didn’t suck much.

This is Jim today with his gorgeous wife!  And Robert. . . still adorable after all these years.  It has been so fun catching up with these guys and realizing just HOW MUCH time has passed has been totally blowing my mind.This whole walk down memory lane making me dig through photo albums and such is all Jimmy’s fault.  So I can’t leave him out. . . even though he’s always been a little on the shy side.  (Payback’s a bitch Jimmy – heehee) 

This is my friend, Marty, again and and my friend, Jimmy, in 1978.  My buddies. My pals. I loved them so much! But yes, still, the 70’s Fashion Police were MIA again or they would have banned that perm.  (You know I still love ya Jimmy)

This is my friend, Jimmy, today with his adorable youngest boy, Key.  It warms my heart to see him with that angel. . . all these years later.  After all the crazy stuff we all got into, the antics that we lived through.  It’s stunning looking back.  Thanks Jimmy for the glimpse back in time.  And I guess I need to thank that kid that developed Facebook who is now a gazillionaire.  Why didn’t WE think of this all those years ago.  We’d have never lost touch.

There are other friends I could show before and after pictures for, but that’s going to require more digging.

Who have you resumed friendships with due to Facebook?