Facebook vs. Sunrise

Every once in a while, I seem to come up with some profound thought or abstract view. Like this morning, the time was about 6:00AM CST, and I logged onto my Facebook account. Interestingly, as I looked at the area "Friends on Line", there were no entries. But as I continued online to other things, such as email, news reports, weather, etc., and came back to Facebook, there was one of my friend's profile photos, letting me know they were online, and ready for a chat.

I assume that the friend was doing the same thing as I, and checking all their interactions with the cyberworld that today, they cannot live without. As I thought about this more and more, friends profile photos started to increasingly reveal themselves. As is the sun was rising somewhere, where they were, and they were now starting their new day. However, there were no new postings. Just a whole lot of friends looking, wondering what went on during the night, and was there any Facebook news from them?

It was amusing to see my nephew, and his wife, were on line at the same time, and I wondered, since it was early Saturday, were they just sitting next to each other in bed, checking Facebook with their smart phones, or was one of them at work, while the other took care of the kids, or whatever. In any event, it is interesting how we have become tethered to the cyber world.

Now many years ago in the infancy of our country, way, way, back, we had a similar technology. I am going back to the seventeenth century and beyond. That technology was called the "Town Cryer", and he would do just that. He'd walk the streets yelling "Here Yea, Here Yea", and all those townfolk in earshot would gather around and listen to the latest news. Things we take for granted, such as Mrs. Jones cow got out last night and entered Mr. Dobbs field and ate some of his corn crops. Or such things as,"there will be a meeting at the town hall to discuss the raising of a new barn", or redoing the cart path, or new rules for grazing on the "Commons".

Once the printing press bacame more popular and available, the "Town Cryer" simply went around he town, and posted the notices on various boards designated for this purpose. Meanwhile, the folks could simply come up and read them. You've all seen these boards because they still exist today at the entrance to almost every supermarket. Where the neighbors let everyone know what goods they have for sale, or what services they could provide.

The difference today is that we all go to the Internet and especially as members on Facebook, we read, and wait, for that first utterence from someone else, for us to read, and start our day. So I am making a new Facebook Rule. When you log on in the morning, you must go to the comment section and say "Hello Friends, Have a Great Day!" It'll surely let everyone know, you're still out there. Think of it like when you walk out of your home, and see the next door neighbor, and say "Good Morning" or "Hello". It might sure make the world a much better place. Because in todays world, especially on Facebook, you're all "Town Cryers".