Faux Friends

I have a confession to make that will probably not win me many friends with today's techno-savvy, socially connected, globally personified generation. I'm not a huge fan of social media and the whole concept of cyber friendship, but I will admit value and merit can be extracted from these institutions. I promise I'm not some old curmudgeon grasping at my Brother 3000 Word Processor with white knuckles as the age of the typewriter sinks faster than the Titanic. Honestly, there are some incredible advantages to living in a world with immediate access to information.

On the flip side, I really do not care what 800 people ate for breakfast or believe its a necessity that people must comment on what the contestants of Big Brother are doing at any given moment. Being alive today is a double edged sword. A glass both half full and half empty. My biggest beef, however, is the whole idea of socially constructed "friendship." We have substituted the word friend for spectator. We spend an absurd amount of time watching the lives of others without interacting with them in a significant way. Intimacy is limited to whether a person feels up to hitting the 'like button.'

I will admit I am prejudiced because of my background. I grew up as a Generation Xer who thrived in social environments tied to reading people by  speaking with them on an individual level. Personal conversations were expected because that was the only way to determine if a person was real or a phony. I won't elaborate on this but if you have any questions then just rent (what I grew up doing) or download (what my kids do) Reality Bites and all your inquiries will be satisfied. We have become desensitized  to the ills of life by becoming over-saturated to their existence.

Google 'homelessness' and you can spend hours scrolling through images of people in their most desperate times. But then what? Click on to your other screen tab and either finish your round of Fruit Ninja or comment on your Facebook page about how people need to get involved? But how do we get involved in real and tangible ways? Do we participate or merely inform others who inform others who inform others without ever actually doing anything?

Combating the issues that cause homelessness requires more than viewing-inspired commentary. At Samaritan House, we are thankful for those true friends who invest in what we do on a real and tangible level. So many of you prepare meals and volunteer at the shelter and fundraisers. You support our residents by answering the call for donations and contributions. The concept of friendship is deep and lasting and we could not do anything without your help.

If you would like to become more involved, please call and we will be happy to let you know what you can do to help change the lives of others. Now, please forgive me as I need to go... There is a really cute YouTube video of a kitten playing with yarn that I need forward to a few people.