Scrambling to find something to write about before midnight because grading these annoying homeworks took me way longer than it really ought to have... (very irritating)... I was scouring BBC news for anything at all cheerful, without much luck. It was such a grey and miserable day here (it rained all night and then as soon as I was going to set out from home this morning, it turned into this windy, snowy/sleety gunk that physically hurt to walk through. boo. hiss.) and so I really wanted to post something uplifting/quirky/funny/all around awesome and BBC has never failed me before.
I thought tonight might actually be the first time. The front page was full of links to stories about police officers being shot, immigrants to Rome living in the sewers, torture, bodies, the works. I may go back and read those eventually, but what I really need is something a little lighter.
The story I found that was share-worthy is not exactly lighter, per se, but it's definitely more hopeful. Facebook, FTW!
The most important thing that I got out of this particular article is a reaffirmation of one of my most dearly-held beliefs that everyone can make a difference, even if they don't think that they can because they're just one insignificant little person. Facebook may be addictive, it may be an excellent form of procrastination, and all of that, but in the end it provided what really matters - a connection with another human being, however distanced or superficial - for one particular individual in need.
I've often considered running off to the woods to become a hermit and live in communion with all the little forest creatures. (Naturally, I'd drag all of my books with me.) I love the peace and seclusion of the woods - there's nothing better, in my opinion. I used to consider this a lot more seriously in the past (particularly elementary school and middle school - which sucked just a tad...) but I always came to the same conclusion: I could never actually go through with my plan, because no matter how tranquil such a lifestyle would be, I would not really be able to enjoy conversing with the squirrels and fuzzy bunnies. However annoying my human companions may be at times (some more than others) I don't think that I could survive without some form of contact with them.
Having come out of my shell quite a bit in the past few years (those of you who know me now but did not know me in high school probably do not realize quite how much, actually), I've realized, too, that while the internet is an awesome, awesome thing, its a pale substitute for real interactions. (For one, the internet cannot give backrubs. And to be without backrubs should be a serious crime, in my opinion.) But there's just something about facing a living, breathing human being and connecting with him or her that's absolutely essential.
I'll let you know when I figure out what that is.
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