Facebook Challenge

According to Facebook, I have 255 friends. This doesn’t make me wildly popular but rather marginally acquainted with a broad circle of individuals. An endless stream of vacation photos, musings and mutterings parade across my computer screen and I delude myself into thinking that I’m actually “connecting” with my friends.

So, I’ve decided to challenge myself to really connect with my friends by sending each and every one of them (yes 255 of them) a genuine, personalized, heartfelt message that falls into one of these four categories:

1. Rewind. Let’s face it, some of my Facebook Friends I haven’t seen since I was in 5^th grade and all we really have between us is fuzzy memories of Mrs. Schultz, who smelled like moth balls and made us recite our times tables at nausea. Everyone likes to be remembered and sometimes the funny story we have to retell has been long lost in a sea of mental muck and is worthy of resurfacing.

2. Fast Forward. As you look ahead, what do you wish for your friend? Are they going off to college, getting married or starting a family or new career? Well wishes and sage advice could be a welcome gift to someone facing a whole new chapter in their life.

3. A Note of Appreciation. How often have you felt that no one appreciates you? There are so many things to admire about people who have crossed your path in life.

4. Linked. There are people on my “friends” list that I don’t have a historic connection with or a deep abiding feeling of appreciation for. For these friends I’ll take the time to send them a link to something that I think they would enjoy. Not your typical goofy link, but something that demonstrates that I know them and appreciate their unique interests.

Speaking of links, I plan to include a link to this hub so that no one thinks that my “out of the blue,” overly sentimental correspondence is because I am terminally ill. And, after I’ve completed my challenge, I plan to write a hub about my experiences really “connecting” with my friends.

I encourage you to take up this challenge with me and post your experiences, thoughts and feelings as you make the kind of connections that really matter – sincere ones.