30 Days of Gratitude: Day 11

Today, for no specific reason, I am thankful for Facebook. For all of its annoyances and so-called security issues, it has allowed me to keep in touch with tons of people, and I am grateful for the ability to do so.

I have kept in touch with colleagues past and present, especially because most of them do not live near me. I can keep up on their latest everything - from where they are in the country, to the latest and greatest stage stories from the current jobs.

I have been able to keep in touch with past schoolmates as well from college to as far back as elementary school.

I was not really part of the Facebook generation - in fact, I was out of school when it first was created. I luckily still had my school email - back when it was exclusive to schools only. I do kind of miss those days, but then again, I probably wouldn't have found everyone that I have.

What I am really thankful for is the ability to reconnect with a handful of people that I would not have found without the benefit of Facebook. AST for example, or LN, or most recently, JSB. I like the ability to keep in touch with these folks and find out what's new.

I like being able to see pictures of former classmates's kids or their weddings or their latest adventures.

I like that I can usually catch up on the world's news or latest trends by simply checking my news feed. I like that the politics of my friends span the spectrum and I enjoy 'watching' both sides of the debate on issues. I like that we watch the same TV and different TV and expose each other to new things and new ideas.

There are many things that irritate me about Facebook, but I try to overlook them - for me, the good outweighs the bad. At least for now.

But I also have to be thankful for Veterans today... because they have done and do and will do so much for our country. The least we can do is celebrate them on one day specifically and everyday in general. Thank you to all Veterans, past, present and future.