Monday, September 3, 2012

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.

13 comments:

Linda Wood Rondeau said...

Yep...when caught in the rain without an umbrella, use fig leaves.

Liz Flaherty said...

LOL. Good post. I'm running over to FB to be your friend--I think you're fun!

Jessica Nelson said...

LOL Jeanette! Too cute. ;-) I hope you've escaped now.

Linda Robinson said...

Ha! I did jailtime on FB, too. I just messaged people and told them to send me a friend request until I got out of jail! Loved the post. Liked your page!

Unknown said...

Great post, Jeanette. I know how you feel, but I could not have expressed it as you did. Love your wit.

JoAnn Swearingen said...

FB keeps begging me to connect with friends of friends of friends. Maybe it's a new kind of cyber "bored" game--push you to the limit so that you do not pass "go" but land in jail instead!

Steve Finnell said...

you are invited to follow my blog

Cindy Sproles said...

Do they have keys to the jail doors or do they open automatically when "time served" ticks down? Sometimes even the innocent must pay the price of being so sweet.

Caroline said...

Jen, loved the post. You're my fav "jailbird"!!! :)

Linda, all the posts are great. Wonderful blog

Jeanette Levellie said...

Thanks, everyone; I'm glad this entertained you! I got mad at first, then I saw that FB's punishment had turned out for my good--just like Jesus to do that for His peeps!

Hugs,
Jen

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Jen -

The caption on your graphic made me chuckle. My friend uses the same line with her grandson when he's in time-out for misbehaving.

I'm honored to be your friend on Facebook and everywhere else. :)

Blessings,
Susan

quietspirit said...

Jen: I remember when this happened to you. You took it well. I would have been crying in my lemonade.

Jeanette Levellie said...

Thanks, Susan and Quiet. I did cry at first--then I decided to write about it! It's a chapter in my new book, The Heart of Humor,which I'm almost done writing.

That'll show 'em. . .