Priority Use

I don't believe in collecting for the sake of collecting. I believe in purposeful use. Dust. Cars. Antiques. Whatever. I believe in having things that are useful and enjoying their use. Having 10 roadsters and getting satisfaction from their use is one thing. Having 10 roadsters and keeping them in your oversized garage to polish on Saturdays is quite the other.

As it is with friends. The facebook and my space kind. Perhaps it's not nice of me, but if you're not my friend in person, I don't see why you should be my friend on-line. I've been fairly loose with this in terms of facebook. I'll confirm the friendship so long as we have met. It doesn't matter if we've ever shared juicy gossip over a pizza pie and huge chocolate chip cookie. But "my space?" Well, I think I gotta be a bit more picky.

Today, I got a friend request for my "my space" account. It was for A. I wracked my brain trying to figure out who this shady A figure was while waiting for the invite to load. The only one I could think of is a friend from high school. Sure, I'd be her friend. Cause, well, I am. But where in the heck did she ever find my profile? Wow, word gets around.

Well, it turns out it wasn't that A. Instead it was an A who doesn't usually have time to smile at me as we pass in the quads. It's okay, I understand. Making snooty, "bug-like" faces takes long enough. I wouldn't want her to be late for class.

I don't really want her to be my "my space" friend. I mean, I guess it's no big deal. But she's really not my friend. I don't even know if she's an acquaintance. She just is. And that's all. Does having her as my "my space" friend diminish the friendships that I actually do have? "OMG, I'm in your top 8!!" Or is it all just a silly on-line game to which I'm giving way too much thought? I'm not sure. But, it shouldn't matter. I mean, I get to choose who I hang out with, right? I choose with whom I share bits and details over ice cream, right? So why not choose who gets the, echem, privilege of being my friend? No, not a privilege, just a truth.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in the power of networks and not burning any bridges. But, I'm not a big fan of this fake on-line cordiality embodied in the competition of most friends or the race to build a strong network. To be honest, having 9 friends is more telling than having 9 billion.