Facebook Has Given and Taken Away

When I joined Facebook in 2009 it seemed like 'the best thing since sliced bread' as the saying goes. It was great to connect with friends, relatives and even strangers with like minds. But what Facebook gave in those early years it has now taken away. Sign on now and all you get are ads, articles and links to sites that FB has 'identified' for you as per your interests, etc., etc., but very few posts from the people you care about and those you have to really hunt for in order to see. 

But once in awhile I am shown things that I do find interesting. Here are three from this morning:

A guide to deciphering dessert. One person commented that they had heard of them all except for 'grunt'. I had to agree; I didn't know that one either. But, when you read the small print you can see that it is also known as a slump. That I have heard of. There might even be a recipe for it in Mom's recipe box. And Betty, a little less well known, but it was my sister's name, so, yes, I had heard of that.

Then there was a photo from The Cathedral in The Baths National Park of Virgin Gordo, British Virgin Islands. I don't have any photos of me taken there, but I still have my memories from fifty-five years ago.  From that distance this could be a photo of me. Just imagine her in a bright yellow swim suit.

Lastly was this list of 'Aging musicians still with us in 2023'. Only ten are older than I. And topping the list is one of my very, very favorites. I have loved Willie Nelson and his music for at least fifty years. And, yes, I have seen him in a live performance.

Earlier this week Facebook 'gave' me a lengthy, reprinted article about Willie's guitar, Trigger. It was interesting - how he got the guitar, how long he's had it, why he named it Trigger, etc. At first I wasn't going to read the entire piece, but I did. I even went to YouTube and listened to some of the songs mentioned that I was not familiar with. 

I've always felt a connection with Willie and his music. Then I read this little bit embedded in the article: "By 1970 he was going through all kinds of personal changes -- reading the poems of Kahlil Gibran and the prophecies of Edgar Cayce...." Me too Willie. Me too.