Confessions of a Jailbird

Everyone told me I needed to join Facebook to keep up with family members who lived far away and didn’t know what a letter was. I could make new friends who had the same interests as I. It would also help me gain exposure as a writer, so people would recognize my name and buy my books. Best of all, they said, it was fun. That last word was all I needed. “Sign me up!” I shouted, logging onto the Facebook site.

 

At first, I accepted friendship requests from every Mabel, Butch, and Greta who breezed onto my profile and offered me a cyber dark chocolate. Facebook must have known the kinds of people I like to associate with, because they posted suggestions of ones I might want to befriend, complete with a mug shot of each.How sweet of them to help me gain more friends, I thought. I spent many merry moments on their site.

Until they put me in jail.

Yep. Seems I had requested friendship of too many people who reported that they didn’t recognize my mug. Facebook sent me a not-so-merry message, forbidding me for seven days from making new friends in the FB playground. I think it was supposed to make me cry, and repent of my too-friendly ways.

What Facebook didn’t know was that I came out of the womb with business cards in my wee hand, introducing myself to every nurse, doctor, and aide in the hospital. I planned birthday parties for all the newborns in the nursery, and volunteered to be the clown.  I came back six weeks later to teach my first How to Make Friends and Influence Parents class.

So, FB jail didn’t scare me. I can make friends anywhere.

Jeanette Levellie is the author of Two Scoops of Grace with Chuckles on Top, a bestselling humorous devotional that will help you receive God's love and like yourself better. You can find Jeanette's Facebook page here, and she'd love to be your friend, evef if it lands her in jail.