I’ve finally joined Facebook. I had always scoffed at the idea citing how I didn’t want to give up my privacy. Then as I thought more about it I realized that privacy is a moot point anyway. Do any of us really have privacy anymore? Anyone that really wanted to could find out anything about any one of us. Besides, Facebook seems to be the best way to connect with children and grandchildren.

I realized this when my sister asked me about my daughter’s auto accident. What!! ” What auto accident, I shrieked.”….”well, it was on Facebook,” she said. Apparently the telephone call is no longer used to relay information. ( I really did know that! ) I also knew that I would miss a lot of events if I didn’t get with it My granddaughter’s engagement , my grandson’s prom pictures and other important family highlights.  They don’t mean to exclude you but you exclude yourself when you don’t get with the program.

Technology has never been easy for me and I have been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Years ago my daughter ( thank you Julie ) insisted that I get a Smart Phone to replace the flip top that I had used for years. What a revelation. I quickly became one of the people I had complained about, checking my phone every chance I had.

A year or so ago I bought an Apple computer after using an old Windows program for most of my life. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to throw that computer out the window. It was so totally different that I couldn’t do much with it but, eventually, the poorest student catches on.

It seems to be like that that with many things as you get older. I still catch myself grabbing a phonebook to look up a number instead of Googling it. The other day at the end of the movie I Googled the name of the local pizza place, ordered a pizza, and picked it up on the way home….how cool is that! What is just ordinary to my grandkids still amazes me.

My grandson cannot believe how hard technology is for me, ” but it’s so simple,” he say says. The other day I asked him to get an extension cord out of an old suitcase that I used for decoration and storage and he couldn’t get the suitcase open. It had a sliding lock that he had never seen before. “But its so simple,” I said. It was a great teaching moment, everything is always simple when its something with which you are familiar .

So, on Facebook this weekend I was able to connect with old friends of whom I had lost track, and most importantly, see the announcement of my granddaughter’s engagement. It seems that on Facebook it’s your choice as to the amount of privacy you wish to give up. You do not have to reveal your political or moral viewpoints or discuss how nutty you think others are. Using Facebook is just another way to communicate and maybe another way to enrich your life.