It's a Small World After All

For the most part, Facebook is annoying. I don't care that you're doing your laundry, and I really don't care what you're having for dinner. I'm sure you don't care that I got a parking ticket (and yes, I'm aware that this is sort of an ironic statement to be made by a girl who writes a blog about nothing - I justify it by telling myself this is really a journal that happens to have public access). Sure, it's fun to see what people are up to but I spend more time being annoyed by spelling and grammar errors (vs. typos, mind you) and right-wing rants.

But sometimes...

I've been reading this book. It lets me check off a non-fiction book from my annual goal, but more importantly, it's riveting. I mean completely, totally riveting. I've been surprised by some of the little connections I've made to the life of one of the killers - he lived in Ohio briefly in the town that my high school nemesis transferred from and one of his relatives was a prominent Jewish leader in Columbus and I have very vivid memories of seeing an Anne Frank display at the center named for him as a pre-teen (and by vivid memories I mean that I remember that I was wearing fake fingernails and the grease from the Pizza Hut pizza we stopped for made the glue break down...and maybe a little about the actual display).

The author chose not to use any photos or other images in the text even though they are widely available, but instead linked them in his website. When I got to the website, there was a Facebook link. Now I'm "friends" with the author, and that means that I know he's currently in LA thinking he won't win a book award for which he's been nominated.

I'm also "friends" with 3 of the guys in a favorite band and know the front man was nervous before taping the George Lopez show and was looking to his wife and baby to comfort him.

My longtime friend from Ohio M. was "tagged" in a photo album with my much more recent friend P. from here in NoVa. They don't know each other at all but had a common link through a friend of P.'s who had M.'s picture when she sent in a headshot for an audition for a student film. Weirrrrrd.

One of the many reasons I liked living in Nashville was the likelihood of running into a celebrity in an unexpected place (like Elvis Costello in line in front of me at Tower Records) - it made it feel like a small town. I love these things that make it feel like a small world.