I finally joined the party.
After being out of the loop since 2004, when it was created, I joined Facebook.
My motivation was primarily selfish — to show off pictures of my first grandchild, beautiful little Kennedy. She’s 9 months old, and I have taken roughly 5,999 photos of her.
I’ve been shoving my cellphone in friends’ and strangers’ faces, but it just wasn’t enough. I also got tired of hearing, when I would share news, “Yeah, I saw it on Facebook.” Plus, it’s a good place to get story ideas and see what people are concerned about.
I just kept resisting. Occasionally, my husband would show me a photo on his Facebook page of one of our sons doing something cool (a big duck hunt, a fun mountain hike).
In January, my daughter-in-law helped me set up my page. She was patient as she walked me through it. (She did chastise me a time or two for being distracted and not paying attention — but Kennedy was in the room and doing something adorable, like sitting!)
When I finally got going with my page and made some “friends,” it was pretty exciting.
It’s like those commercials where someone walks through a quiet hallway in an apartment building, gets to a door and hears muted music. When the door opens, a huge party is going on — people are eating and drinking, animals are running around — it’s like a three-ring circus.
That’s how Facebook feels to me.
Even though I’ve written this column for about 27 years, at first I hesitated to post on Facebook. I choose my words carefully. Once I looked up the word hovel in the dictionary before deciding not to use it when referring to my office. My husband just shakes his head.
My mother said what I wouldn’t like about Facebook is that I couldn’t edit the comments. I’ll admit, I mentally edit as I read them. Thank goodness, there is an Edit button for my posts. I posted the word “Gorgeous!” early one morning without my glasses and left out the R.
I don’t “Like” anything too controversial. As a journalist, I try my best to remain neutral. I do believe strongly in people’s right to give their opinions, so more power to them.
I’ve learned to “Sleep for 30 days” or see fewer posts of anyone who constantly tries to sell something. I scroll past comments that I know might be upsetting, but I also read comments that help me look at situations a little differently.
My older son or DIL will send me text messages to gently correct my Facebook faux pas. (Example: “Hit reply, don’t just answer someone with a new post.”) My older son encouraged me after one blunder: “You’re doing great! That is master’s level Facebook, and you’re still finishing up your bachelor’s!”)
I watch videos that are a ridiculous waste of time, but they make me laugh. I have watched the video at least 10 times of the momma orangutan chasing her baby and trying to drag him with her. It reminds me of once when I had to chase my older son, John, through our yard just days after giving birth to his younger brother.
I’ve cried watching sweet videos of people I don’t know.
It’s fun to see the funny things that people’s kids say or do, and I love seeing photos of babies, kids, dogs and cats.
Kennedy will celebrate her first birthday in May. And you can bet that I will be sharing party pictures galore.
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.