The New Village Green

I have been feeling isolated for a few years. It's not that I don't see anybody, it's that I only see the same core few with any regularity. I am a social being, much to Jeff's dismay at times, and I love to talk to people and hear their stories. As much information as we have at our fingertips these days, we seldom reach out to each other without a specific reason.
I remember when my kids were little, I would sometimes spend the whole day with friends, working on projects or just visiting while the kids played. I miss those days, but find it hard to call a friend and say "Let's hang out." I can only take rejection so many times before I pull back reluctantly into my shell. I organize outings whenever I get the chance, like to the tulip fields or the Christmas Bazaar, and friends are happy to join me.
But, you know, it can be tiring to always be The Instigator. The Party Planner. The Bearer of Treats. The Event Coordinator.

What I need is a village green, the place where people used to meet and chat and simply pass the time of day.
Well, I have found it.
The new village green.
And it is Facebook.

I have coined a new term that I hope will catch on like wildfire.
Ha! Faint hopes of that!
Facebook Serendipity.
Wonderful, unexpected things that happen because of facebook connections.
Let me tell you about just a few of the serendipitous things that have happened within my facebook community.

~Our friends LaNae and Stacey, who live several hours away in Washington, came over one Sunday afternoon for a barbecue pizza throw-down. Several other couples came too and a good time was had by all.
~When I lost my cell phone on the DC trip, I put out an S.O.S. on facebook and my friend Ellen let me use one of her old phones.
~Later, her husband was pining for split pea soup after I mentioned it, so I sent him over a nice container of said soup.
~Then, they donated their cordless phones to our house after I killed mine and they got rid of their land line.
I guess I'm in the hole on that little exchange!
~My friend, Kathy, and I went to see Lisa Hannigan and David Gray together.
~My friend, Monna, who lives close to my Mum in New Zealand, took her homemade treats when she found out Mum was sick.
~Jonnie found his old childhood friend Ben, who lives in Arkansas. He had been searching for him for years. Ben's Mom, Kathy, sent Jon some beautyberry seeds after he admired a photo of her bush.

Strands and links that would have been almost impossible to accomplish before this curious and marvelous technology. Blessings bestowed by the gods of the World Wide Web.
And yet....
I still miss the days....