I was "un-friended" today on Facebook by an old friend, and I was also told that our "friendship has come to an end." Not by a teenager, not someone I'd known for only six months, but a friend of nearly six years who is allegedly an adult in his own right. I'm completely amazed.
I have lots of friends I disagree with, and lord knows I'm opinionated. However, while I love all my friends dearly, I especially respect and love those who have different opinions than mine because they challenge how I think, challenge the way I view the world. I think it's profoundly important that we surround ourselves with people who do not agree with us 100%, otherwise we get a skewed view of the world and the other remarkable people who inhabit it.
I'm fairly certain my mother is the only one who reads this blog, and I'm okay with it. I try to let it be somewhat funny, because after all, hunting dead relatives is a very silly hobby, but also I want it to be something that points out the ridiculousness in how people behave. I don't mind when people point out the ridiculous in me... coming to terms with the worst parts of ourselves is probably the greatest challenge we face in our lives.... but if you don't point out to me WHY the behavior or statement is wrong, or misleading, then you aren't providing me with an opportunity to grow. I say this because the content of this blog was cited as one of the reasons our friendship had to end, but my old friend refused to elaborate. Again, I'm amazed. I think the worst thing I've done on here is to allege my ancestor was serial killer, and she's several generations dead, so what does she care?
People become crazy about genealogy, but ultimately, who really cares about any of it? Only those of us who search out these dead individuals who contributed in some distant way to who we are. For every woman who doesn't research, or every guy who declares I'm not a member of a family, there are hundreds of genealogists who share photos, and stories and relish finding others walking the same path, even if the information they're looking for is different.
You know, the kind of people I would choose for friends.
In terms of my old friend, regardless of how he thinks of me, I will always regard him as a friend, and when I think of him, I'll send him light and love.... and then let it go.
