I'm Keeping My Facebook Account

I told you all about Facebook in my column last week. In case you missed it, I provided all the warnings and dangers of engaging in this wildly popular online community. I acknowledged that despite the potential negatives, I was going to stick with Facebook. And I promised to tell you why- so here goes. Since joining Facebook, I have intentionally and accidentally connected with hundreds of people, many from my younger days in school, and others from recent ventures. Had I no Facebook account, I would have had no idea where they were and what was going on in their lives. Thanks to Facebook, I have seen numerous pictures of my former high school and college classmates and their children. What a pleasure to see how we have all matured and become responsible adults- for the most part. I even connected with my former speech teacher in college. She had told me way back then that I was destined to be a public speaker and encouraged me in countless ways. Now we are Facebook friends. And when I told her my team was coming to Boone to play a baseball game, Mrs. Mohler met me at the field with smiles and hugs. Remember me writing about Jessica? She’s the little girl I met at the children’s home in South Carolina when she was nine and who asked me to help her get adopted each time I visited her there. Thanks to Facebook, we have reconnected. She’s got a wonderful family and is headed off to college now and we talk via Facebook often. And Tripp. He was the catcher on the first high school team I ever coached back in 1988. Great player, excellent student, and an even better person. Had it not been for Facebook, I may have never known that he was aboard US Airways Flight 1549 when Captain Sullenberger safely landed it into the Hudson Bay back in January. Tripp and I have reconnected now and I am proud of the man he has become. I can also spy a little bit on some of my current players and GWU students that I chaperoned on a mission trip last fall. One of them called me a Facebook Stalker the other day. Partially accurate assessment. Accurate because I am now able to keep an electronic eye on my high school son and his friends. I can also stay in touch with my foreign missionary friends. I can see their pictures ten minutes after their photos are snapped. My wife, who initially raised an eyebrow when I joined “that Facebook thing,” now checks my site almost as much as I do- though I’ve yet to get her to join herself. I’ve discovered long lost relatives and reconnected with folks I had nearly forgotten. So why do I need to know what is going on with those who I have known in the past? Quite simply, because their lives matter to me. Of course there are predators and identity thieves patrolling Facebook. But there are also ministers, parents, and coaches who want to stay in touch with their former players. When folks are connected, they can support, encourage, and pray for each other. Herewith, I will keep my Facebook account active. So feel free to send me a friend request- at your own risk.