Close and Real… Aug 16. (-41 days)

(From a facebook note...)

Technology is great you have to at least admit that. Who could dream 15 years ago that one would have the possibility to reach 45 of his friends, scattered in different places around the world at the same time and actually have them read all this stuff and comment on it? A writer’s/ traveler’s/ journal keeper’s dream come true. I don’t think I like Facebook that much. Ultimately it’s a “peek in someone’s life” machine. Proponents would say, ‘well you are free to use it, so it’s up to you to define what people see of you”. Almost true because I still can’t control my friends uploading my photos. You know the ones that are inappropriate where I am thinking that nobody is watching me… Anyway, as with any thing that Man has ever invented, it’s not about what it does, it’s about how you use it.

So amid all this “lack of privacy and abundant information” I decided to use the Group function. I don’t need all 410 of “friends” (latest count…my God how PTL – Pointless Ti Lathos, or Pointless Time Loss, as one of you likes to say) to read what I am thinking and writing. It’s not for everyone. It’s for the few and special. It’s for the Close and Real. I was asked to name the Group and it just came naturally, I didn’t even think of it. Look at this, both words are adjectives not objects. How cool, you people can be anything you want as long as you are Close or Real or both… The adjectives only describe proximity (Close) and materiality (Real) to myself (well it is MY blog now, isn’t it?). And it’s not about physical proximity or materiality. Some of you don’t live in the same country as me, some not even in the same continent. Some I get to see every day, some once a year. One of you I haven’t even met yet. No difference.

There’s a reason you are on this list. For some of you it might be obvious (or you think it is…) for some the reason might not be that straight forward but I promise you there is one. If you don’t know why you are on this list don’t worry, you probably somehow play(ed) an important role in my life and you haven’t realized it. That makes you Real because you’ve made an impact.
I will write about some of you in this blog – don’t get offended or nervous. All my stories will be Real and apologies if you don’t like others reading about you but that’s the “price” you pay for being Close. And Close is different to near. If you don’t get it, think of your family and then your local gas station and you should get the difference. There are definitely a few more people to add but they are not here because they are not on facebook –and I can’t force them, although the should. Even my mom is using it J (hi mommy!)

So how do I define the people in this group? Let’s say that if there was a phone-booth and I had a limited number of coins, you would be the first people that would be invited to the party (yes you can invite a few more as long as they bring drinks or help clean-up) or if there was a limited number of life jackets on a ship and I was distributing them you would be the first to get one even if you were in 3rd class. (you can still play Jack and Kate if you want on the bridge of the Titanic) or if this was the last roller-coaster ride in the amusement park you would get that set of tickets (no, I don’t care if you get dizzy, sick or afraid) or… ok I expect you get it by now.

There’s not much you need to do here. Just read and write back a couple of thoughts from time to time. I know I will be writing a lot.

What else would I do in 4.2 days of flight time anyway?