Face to Facebook by Nancy Pritchard

Home · Services & Fees · Calendar of Events · Meditation CD''s · Ongoing Events

Gift Certificates · Articles · Join Mailing List · Directions · In the News · Contact Us

Face to Facebook
by Nancy Pritchard, October, 2009
© 2009, Nancy Pritchard, All Rights Reserved

I've finally taken the plunge and opened a Facebook account. Please don't think that I'm excited about jumping into the cyber world. The only reason I signed on is to keep up with my two sons, who both recently moved away from home. The things we do for love!

For the past two years I swore I would never join the Facebooking community, and I still don't plan to become an overactive 'Facebooker.' By that I mean I can't imagine staying online for hours at a time or befriending people I don't know, as many people with Facebook pages seem to do. And I really don't care to know what my cyber 'friends' are up to every minute of every day (or 24/7 as we techies like to call it!) Then again, I'm quite new at this Facebook business, so I'll have to see how it all plays out.

I've recently become a 'Skyper' as well, at my eldest son, Adam's, suggestion. 'Skype' is a program whereby one can share instant messages with another Skype member. Adam and his girlfriend, Ashleigh, actually have a web cam set up, so that they can see each other as they talk into computer microphones. This makes it easier to keep up a long-distance relationship, which is good for Adam & Ash, since they'll be hundreds of miles apart until May, 2010.

What do people 'Skype' about? Adam and I talk about day-to-day stuff mostly, same as any other mother and son. Here's a typical example of one of our conversations:

8/29/2009 - 10:33 AM - Adam Pritchard: Hey, Mom, I'm going to a laundromat. Is there anything I need to bring beyond quarters, detergent, and clothing? And how much money should I bring?

8/29/2009 10:39 AM - Nancy Pritchard: Well...let's see. I haven't been to a laundromat in years. How much did you use doing laundry in college?

8/29/2009 10:39 AM - Adam Pritchard: 1.25 a load, I think. Is there anything else I need?

8/29/2009 10:40 AM - Nancy Pritchard: Hmmmm. You'll probably have to double that $1.25. Maybe even more. Take plenty of money, just in case. Do you have $1's? I'm sure they'll have a change maker there. And the only other thing I use would be dryer sheets, but you don't need those.

8/29/2009 10:42 AM - Adam Pritchard: Nah. Drier sheets are too girly.

I have to admit that since my boys are both living far from home (both of them hundreds of miles away in two opposite directions, of course) I've developed a greater appreciation for modern technology. It would have been even harder to say goodbye to them without the wonders of cell phones, texting, email, Facebook, and as previously mentioned, Skype.

Admittedly, cyber-connections are not as fulfilling as good old-fashioned hugs or enjoying dinner across the table from a loved one. But sometimes, those coveted face-to-face encounters with those we love are simply not possible in today's transient world. Adam is now living on Long Island. Have you ever tried to drive to Long Island? My husband and I did in late August - for the first time, and the last. Without going into detail, the supposed 5 ½ hour trip too over 7 ½ hours. And the traffic was…well, let's just say that on the way back to Frederick, our GPS routed us directly through downtown Manhattan. Yes, Manhattan! Carl and I love our son dearly, but we will not be driving through New York City anytime soon, thank you very much!

Have I mentioned that Adam is a graduate student with a concentration anatomical sciences? His chosen field of study makes for some very interesting Skype conversations.

8/30/2009 2:29 PM - Nancy Pritchard: What are you up to this afternoon?

8/30/2009 2:30 PM - Adam Pritchard: Studying human anatomy. It starts tomorrow...

8/30/2009 2:30 PM - Nancy Pritchard: Wow. Sounds heavy to me, but not for you, I guess. You've got a big ol' brain.

8/30/2009 2:30 PM - Adam Pritchard: No. It's heavy for me, too. Pretty scary stuff.

8/30/2009 2:31 PM - Nancy Pritchard: Scary...in what way?

8/30/2009 2:32 PM - Adam Pritchard: Human dissection is going to be strange.

8/30/2009 2:32:31 PM - Nancy Pritchard: HUMAN dissection? Yeah! I'm sure it is! I can't argue with that

I'm using my cell phone regularly to send text messages now, too. This is the way my youngest son, James (the college freshman), prefers to keep in touch. James taught me to text a few months ago, rolling his eyes in frustration upon realizing that a process that came so easily to him turned his mother into an all-thumbs klutz. I'm still a little clumsy, as it takes me longer to text than it would to make a short phone call…but James prefers to keep in touch by texting:

James: Hey. I'm at the beach.
Nancy: Cool! Are you studying there?
James: And the weather's perfect today.
Nancy: And…you have your books down there with you, right?
James: I said the weather is PERFECT!
Nancy: Okay. I get it.

I must admit that I had to eat my words upon deciding to go over to the 'cyber-side,' because I was vocally opposed to it for so long. "You kids will get to the point where you don't know how to have a face-to-face conversation!" I would occasionally complain to my boys. "And how will you ever develop proper social skills if you only 'talk' to people online?" But guess what? Despite my fears, they both carry on fine conversations and they both have plenty of 'face-to-face' friendships. So much for Mom and her theories.

But don't children do that to us all the time? Despite our heartfelt fears, they seem to turn out just fine. And now, thanks to modern technology, I always rest easier after hearing from my boys in the evenings.

Well…almost always…

9/1/2009 10:19 PM - Nancy Pritchard: Hey, Adam. Just wanted to catch up with you before I go to bed. How was your day?

9/1/2009 10:20 PM - Adam Pritchard: Good! Matt and I worked in the lab today. We removed our cadaver's heart and lungs.

9/1/2009 10:20 PM - Nancy Pritchard: You…removed the heart and lungs? Okay! Well! I didn't know you were going to be doing that. That sounds…well, to be honest that sounds pretty gross.

9/1/2009 10:20 PM - Adam Pritchard: No. Not at all. At this point, all the blood has coagulated.

9/1/2009 10:20 PM - Nancy Pritchard: Oh. Coagulated blood? So, that's…good?

9/1/2009 10:21 PM - Adam Pritchard: Yeah. But I do have to say it's kind of gross to see chunks of dried blood in the arteries.

9/1/2009 10:22 PM - Nancy Pritchard: Yes. Chunks of dried blood. Okay! Thanks, Stephen King.

9/1/2009 10:22 PM - Adam Pritchard: Yep, so I'll let you head off to bed now, Mom. Love you. Sleep well.

--- --- ---

Nancy Pritchard is a co-facilitator for ' The Gathering' which meets three to four times per year at The Healing Way in Frederick, MD. See the Calendar of Events for more details.. Nancy also leads a Tao Study Group in Frederick, MD. For more information, about her Tao study group contact Nancy at 301-696-8380 or by email.

Back to List of All Articles