I have to admit, after years of avoiding Facebook, I decided to join the social network last December. Having been one of the coordinators for my 20th class reunion last summer, I wished I would have joined sooner!
Despite the annoying applications, such as “so and so threw you a snow ball, or sent you a drink,” Facebook has grown on me over the past couple of months. I’ve just learned to ignore the snowballs, drinks, and any other applications sent my way (No offense if you’ve sent me one those).
What made me more open to Facebook was not only the recent connections made with friends I’ve met through other Social Media outlets, but also those I’ve re-connected with. A month ago as I was preparing for our vacation to Hawaii, I logged onto Facebook and noticed an update from my hometown friend Kirk. His status updated mentioned being on the beach in Hawaii that day. What are the chances of us being in Hawaii and on the same Island? I responded to find out.
To our surprise, after a few exchanges via text message, we found out that we would both be on the same island of Oahu and staying about thirty minutes from one another. We decided to meet for dinner when my husband and I got to Hawaii.
Kirk was one of my first few friends when I came to America. We were in the same second grade class with Miss Shemlecki. He did what boys do, yes teased me here and there. We’ve reminisced over the years about the time when Miss Schemlecki’s boyfriend dressed up as Cookie Monster and scared the living daylights out of me and I screamed – LOUD! My second grade classmates didn’t understand that I was from another country and we didn’t have The Sesame Street show… nor TV for that matter. I might just show up in a Cookie Monster costume at one of our future reunions!
By sixth grade I went to another elementary school in town. My parents signed me up for the Foreign Exchange Program to France and that year I commuted to the host school to learn French and the culture. Guess who was also in the Foreign Exchange program? Kirk and a few other students from previous schools I had attended.
In France at one of the Chateaus -Kirk behind me in Red (1983)
We went to France with about twenty other students and had quite the experience for thirteen year olds. We had several classes together through out high school and developed a good friendship. Kirk was one of those really intelligent guys that you knew would go on to be successful one day…and he is!
Here we are….summer of 2009, thirty two years after second grade, twenty six years after our foreign exchange trip to France, and twenty years since we graduated from high school…we’re hanging out on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii with our spouses catching up, and having a blast!
Facebook earned a couple of new fans! What a great memory to add to our Hawaiian vacation! Who would have thought that Facebook could connect two old home town friends both vacationing in the same place thousands of miles away!
My husband Kevin, Kirk & wife Christen and I on Waikiki Beach
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