Though, truth be told, I spend a great deal of my free time keeping in touch with people on the computer, and have since my teenage years, I frequently find the task of keeping information current and communicating everything that is going on in my life to be frequently overwhelming. Nevertheless, I am always appreciative when people take the effort to add me as a friend on one social network or another, as it may often prompt me to update information that is (slightly) out of date, and give more people the opportunity to follow along with my thoughts and rambling musings on life that are generally far too prolific for most people to keep up with (sorry!). Since I wish to read more of a book (unsurprisingly enough) and practice some singing (apologies in advance for the neighboring people in the hotel trying to sleep), I will try to keep this entry somewhat short. We shall see if I succeed in this aim or not.

Of the many social networks I am a part of, the ones I am the most current in are Facebook and Linked In. Not coincidentally, my blog posts are sent to both of these networks. Though I am on Facebook every day (especially since it is just about the only way I get to talk with a lot of people), I am generally on Linked In only when someone adds me. Today, for example, I got friend adds from one person on each site. In the case of Facebook, I was added by an acquaintance at Church who is part of a somewhat large family in the congregation, a large family that may or may not have been the subject of many recent posts and the audience of many other ones, though mostly without comment so far. In the case of Linked In, I was added by one of the new UPSers, who also added another member of my team that I added once I accepted her add. In both of these cases the friend adds made sense–one was with a family I desire to be much more greatly acquainted with, and the other was with a co-worker with whom the connection adds to my professional network. Both of these connections, moreover, help to increase the completeness of my own chain of connections as a result of a somewhat complicated life, not that I mind.

Some years ago, the band Pink Floyd once sang about people being just another brick in the wall. However, I think it far more accurate in this present day and age to think of ourselves as links in a chain. By virtue of our travels and experience, we become familiar with and acquainted with a wide variety of people, and the fact that this is the case for others as well means that our potential influence and reach as human beings is quite broad. In some ways that can be very daunting, given that word of what we say and do can rapidly spread like wildfire in dry Southern California hill country. In other ways, though, it means that we can generally develop fairly robust social networks provided that we have some openness to others and some skill in communication. I owe a great deal of such limited success as I have found in life to the modest abilities I have in taking advantage of networking, whether that has come from face-to-face communication, skill in writing, or the ability to get the word out to the right people about urgent situations. Perhaps, if I am fortunate enough, such modest skill as I have acquired in my friendships and professional life might be of use in other aspects of life. Time will tell.

Some people may not appreciate the sort of implications that result in being links in a great chain. Some people desire to be greatly independent and free of being enmeshed and interconnected with others, with duties and responsibilities and the feeling of constraints and limitations in their lives. Nevertheless, we must recognize that even if our connections and relationships constrain our actions by forcing us to think of the repercussions of what we say and do and how we present ourselves, constraints that are probably beneficial in reminding us to behave with continence and politeness even if virtue and honor are beyond our competence, those same constraints also provide us with opportunities for growth as well as to receive aid and assistance in times of need. These opportunities are to be treasured and understood, especially in light of the challenges that we face in our lives. Let us all therefore find some comfort in being links in a chain, and enjoy the connections we make and the richness and complication that results from a life lived openly and honorably.