Tuesday 20 January 2015

Friends

I have two friends ... What I mean to say is that I want to mention two friends. Of course I have more than two friends in real life; but at this point in time I want to mention just those two friends. Real friends; not friends like you get on social networks websites.

Come to think of it, it's amazing how the Internet has changed the meaning of certain words. Like friends for instance.

These days you can go on a website and pretty soon you have gathered a multitude of friends. Dozens of peoples, hundreds even, whom you have never met before, nor are likely to meet, nor would you wish to meet if you knew them in real life, are suddenly your friends through a click of a mouse.

Mouse ...that's another word that has a totally new meaning because of the Internet and computers. That little device you hold in your hand and squeeze is no more furry and mouse-like than a real mouse is. Which reminds me. At a party once, after a few drinks, I asked the hostess if lemons had feathers. She said "Of course not!"

"Oh dear ..." I replied, "in that case I've squeezed your canary in my drink!"

Now where was I? Oh yes ... friends. A friend of mine, a real one that is, has more friends on his social network website than real people I've met in my entire life. Hundreds of them, he has.

I mean, how does he know they're all real? They could be anybody, and not who they say they are. They could have made up their names and photos. Some even have pictures of animals as their identity. How do I know whether Margaret Fontainepiece is not really a giraffe? I may well have befriended a giraffe all this time and I didn't even know it.

Followers ... that's another term misused on the Internet. Instead of friends, some people have hundreds of followers. I'd hate to have that many followers in real life, especially since half the time I don't even know where I'm going. Let's face it, would you want hundreds of followers squeezing in with you in the toilet next time you're at the supermarket?

Some websites use the word "like" to denote some sort of affirmation of what you have written. I must admit that at first I misread it for the word "licks" and my mind boggled at someone having that many licks by people he or she had never met.

Now then ... where was I before you led me astray with your lack of interruptions. Oh yes, I remember ... I have these particular two friends in real life.

One of them is so short that his passport photo is life size. The other one is so tall that he has to stand on a chair in the morning to shave himself.

8 comments:

  1. Hi Victor! I recognize that conundrum of 'friends and followers' on social media, and in my life experience. Visiting here as I do, I feel that I am your 'friend' although we have never met.
    The internet brings a 'closeness' that I never experienced before blogging. It's an interesting thing.
    I'm glad you have so many friends in 'real life'. Even thought they are of different sizes!
    Finished your book last night. Wow. That's all I'll say, so I don't blow anything.
    Wednesday blessings,
    Ceil

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    1. I consider you as a real friend Ceil. And I am very grateful for your support and encouragement for my writings; but most of all for your much needed prayers.

      This book has been a difficult one to write although it actually wrote itself. The idea came to mind and I typed so fast that my hands literally hurt. The title "To Love A Priest" hints at the subject matter which I hope I have handled delicately. I shall be publishing a post on the subject matter shortly to see what readers think. I look forwards to your comments then.

      God bless you and your family my friend.


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  2. Ah--the good and the bad of the Internet and our connected but disconnected world. I kind of miss the world I grew up in. Wanted to thank you for a recent comment you made on Ceil's blog. Both her post and your comment meant a great deal to me.
    God bless,
    Aimee

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    1. Hi Aimee, you're right that the Internet has a lot of good and plenty of bad too; compared to the world of the old days. The good is that at times we read something that someone else has written and it speaks to us. I pray for you and all others who comment here.

      God bless you.

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  3. Hey Victor #1 AM your friend! Right?

    I hear YA! How do I know?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1421914688&x-yt-cl=84503534&v=FmO13M8AF_Y

    Hey I've still got a bottle of beer and some cheese on the chill for you if YA get my drift?

    http://www.splendoroftruth.com/curtjester/2015/01/book-review-memoirs-of-a-happy-failure/

    God Bless you and yours

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  4. Of course you're my friend, just like all who comment here and for whom I pray.

    God bless.

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  5. Thank you for the laughs, as always, Victor. God Bless you.

    Sincerely,
    Your internet-but-still-real Friend

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Michael for being a real friend. Praying for you.

      God bless.

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I PRAY FOR ALL WHO COMMENT HERE.

God bless you.