Cyber Snub

Friday nights after 10 p.m. are a favorite time for me. Almost as good as Saturday nights after 10 p.m. but lacking just a few elements. This is the time I get to sit at the computer and catch up on all the things I missed during the week.

I can think up ideas for posts, or look at comments on my blog, if I had any. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I'll go through on-line magazine articles, read blogs that I've earmarked and enjoy, or search for new ones.

And I like to look through facebook entries to see what's been happening with my "friends" during the week.

This evening I was doing just that ... looking through the weeks entries, when I clicked on my "wall" page and glanced over to the left at my "friends" listing. It said "4".

Wait a minute ... "Four"? The last time I looked I had five. What the fuck?

Before I go on here, I want to acknowledge something before all of you wise-asses out there start sniggering to yourselves. Yes. I have (had) only five people on my friends list. And yes, I know that YOU have 30 or 40 ... or 300 or 400 ... or more "friends". Well, let me tell you something. I may have only five (four) friends, but they are REAL friends. Every single one of my five (four) friends are the finest people I know and we are TIGHT! As far as I'm concerned, I wouldn't trade 500 of your friends for even one of my five (four) friends. So, put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Anyway, I kept looking at that "4" and the first thought that went through my mind was "All right! Who's the dirty, rotten SOB who dumped me!" And seeing that I only had five friends to begin with, it wasn't all that hard to figure out who was missing.

Immediately, I started wondering why she dumped me. Was it something I said? Hmmm, I caused a stir earlier in the week by commenting on people who put mayonnaise on their hamburgers, but the person I offended was still there, so that couldn't have been it. Did she die? Did she go into the Witness Protection Program?

I had no answers, so I started contemplating how I felt about this loss. Was it the same as losing a face-to-face friend? Would I have to avoid her in social situations, or walk the other way if I saw her coming down the sidewalk. Would I still send her a Christmas card this year? I think the answer to all of those questions would be ... No.

So, I'm in a semi-social quandary. Should I feel like the rug has been pulled out from under me and shed a tear? Or should I bravely utter "C'est La Vie" and go on with life?

I think I'll choose to move on, without regrets. So JE ... hasta la vista baby.

And as for you other four ... don't even think about it.