Once upon a time people used to hang out on their front porch. It’s where life happened. Today the front porch is long and gone. People are isolated. In my opinion that isolation has led to loneliness. We are surrounded by people but yet very few people actually know us. We hide away in our homes and we only let people see glimpses of who we really are.
Today the world wide web has become the new front porch. Whether it’s Twitter, online dating services, MySpace, a Blog, or Facebook people are getting connected through the web. I don’t think it’s as good as the front porch because people aren’t always honest online. People also have a tendency to be more bold online then they ever would be in person.
I love Facebook and I love having a blog. I feel like I’ve been able to create some sort of community through them. But at the end of the day if I fall I have to call out for help by typing. Back in the day if a person fell you saw it because you lived life on the front porch and it happened in front of you. When I write about falling I’m not talking about physically. I’m talking about falling in life.
There is a guy that I barely know that has asked me to pray for him via Facebook. I don’t know what is going on in his life but his problems have led him to call out to me.
I heard about a person’s surgery via Facebook. They had a major operation that I didn’t have a fat clue about until I saw their updated status via Facebook.
I learned that a friend was divorced because they updated their Facebook status to single.
Facebook is the new front porch, and I’m thankful for it…but it’s not as good.
To be continued…
Interesting angle, Rob. I basically agree, but have found myself analyzing your fervor to recapture a stronger tie with community. A line from a poem by Robert Frost keeps echoing in my mind: “Good fences, make good neighbors.” At one time, our houses were farther apart, and we may have been closer. Today, our houses are much closer, but we seem to be farther apart.
Creative writing Rob
Of course our particular front porches are a long, long way from each other but our blogs enable us to extend our porches across the oceans … & it's a good thing.
Mim, good quote!
John, I agree. That is one reason I love the world wide web. I love reading your blog and getting to know who you are via the web.
I liked your blog. I feel like I am the only person in the world who doesn’t have a facebook or myspace account. I’ve been thinking about it lately though, especially since one of my best friends just moved all the way across the U.S.!