MUSINGS FROM JOAN #2

REFLECTIONS ON BEING 79 1/2 YEARS OLD. . . .by Joan Spector

My grandson, the lawyer, tells me that I am the only computer savvy grandparent in his and his wife’s extended family. That’s not much of an accolade considering that neither of her two sets of grandparents even own a computer and the sole grandfather left on our side has trouble opening an e-mail.

Which brings me to the subject of Facebook. If you’re not familiar with the name, just ask your grandchildren. Believe me, they know all about it. I don’t want to sound boastful, but I have not only discovered Facebook, I am now a member with an astonishing roster of young and middle-aged people throughout the country who have agreed to be my “friends”, thanks to this remarkable website.

Don’t ask me how it works or how all these people found out about my page. Every day when I open up my computer somebody else whose name is vaguely familiar is requesting to “be my friend”. I am an equal opportunity Facebooker. . .I accept every request with pleasure, send back a friendly note, and away we go. Bosom buddies!

I am also learning a whole new language because Facebookers, schooled in text messaging, no doubt, don’t bother with full sentences and little niceties of perfect grammar. As a once-and-forever English major, who has made her living writing for the last half century, a well formed declarative sentence dies hard, but I am getting the hang of it.

Now that I am an old hand at Facebook, I have introduced it to my 82 year old sister, the true techno-nerd of the family. A woman who was literally carried on the palms of his hands by her doting husband before he passed away almost twenty years ago, she could today pass an electrician’s licensing exam with one hand tied behind her back. . She has personally installed her latest computer, DVD player and TIVO apparatus, making my pretty respectable knowledge of those machines pale by comparison. And did I mention she is also a gourmet cook?

But back to Facebook and the entry into a whole new world that it offers. These days I find myself privy to the back and forth conversations of my grandson and his friends on their “walls”, as well as a whole bevy of people of all ages who have invited me into their cyber space. I admit at times what they have to say makes me flinch, but I am also awed by the level of their interest in finance, politics and world affairs as well as their addiction to Fantasy Football.

In case you are interested, you can sign up by going to facebook.com. Ask me to be your “friend”. I’d love to.

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Joan Spector lives in Miami, Florida and is president of Joan Spector Public Relations, Inc.

If you are a cat person, you are going to want to read her next posting. She can be e-mailed at jspec0963@aol.com..