Six Degrees

Remember when the term;
"Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon"
reminded us that everyone
on the planet
is probably related through only
six connecting relationships?

How DO we connect?

After "chatting" with a high school friend
in "real time"
on an internet social network this morning,
and being reminded that we haven't
spoken face-to-face
since high school;
I was reminded of how we stay
in touch
with those we love.

I sent my mom's 89th Birthday gift
in the mail yesterday;
she always enjoys receiving
snail mail
(but needs my brother or my nephew
to open my tape-happy boxes),
and loves describing to me
(on the phone - later)
her thoughts;
"wondering
what the heck
could be inside this box?".
(Chocolate peeps and a chocolate bunny
went out to her a few weeks ago).

My sisters and my best friend
are my
"every Sunday phone call",
and if my mom doesn't answer
on Sundays
I call her another day every week.

Social networks such as
Facebook and Skype,
work well with seeing photos
and video-streaming
of people I know, and
I'm fascinated learning about
friends
family
AND
their friends and families
through multi-layered connections.

I know more about the
younger set
grade school, high school and college-aged
friends and family
since Facebook,
than I ever knew before.

Blogs bring me
those I know
and those I've never met.
I continue to correspond with
Heather
a friend from China -
whom I've never met in person,
but who commented on a blog of mine
four years ago...
We still "chat" with each other.
I look forward to the day I can
really
meet her.

Craig's List brings me
awareness of
opportunities around me:
Found me the home where I live,
found me some sweet opera tickets last year,
sold a few items from my past home,
found me a new friend AND and
a great place to stay in San Diego,
and brings
(I hope)
a smile to my girlfriend's face
when I send her
weekly
silly, local, well-written ads
from my part of the nation
to her area of the nation -
Santa Fe links
to chickens and roosters,
2000-pound bulls,
lonely llamas needing a mate,
and unusual lost ads:
"Lost: Coach purse,
I-pod, several CD's and DVD's
and a small, silver-plated 38-Special;
I miss my gun the most".

I still love to give and receive cards
and
(as a few lucky friends and family have come to find)
I LOVE a particular
e-card from Hallmark;
and send it for birthdays
whenever I get a chance.
Yep, the SAME card
to a huge bunch of people.

I enjoy giving cards to co-workers:
Just that happy little surprise
for no apparent reason.

But
I have come to
appreciate most of all:
Sitting down
face-to-face
and just
talking.

No computer
No cell phones
No tape-swaddled packages
No prettily-designed cards
No web-cams
Can beat...
Seeing you
and spending time.





Oh,
and I found a new link:
http://www.sixdegrees.org/