I know people are busy and that I can’t be the priority for everyone to pay attention to – I still want to be, but I know it’s just not going to happen. It’s a fault of mine I’ve long since acknowledged. I love attention. Everyone does to a certain extent, in some form or fashion, but I know that I take the desire to be noticed a little too far. I’ve always enjoyed being the center of attention. I try to learn as much as possible and keep up with current events so I never have to feel left out if someone brings it up in conversation. It also helps me to chime in when others bring it up, thus allowing me to make them feel important and noticed. Win/win.

I enjoy seeing things that people do. I love keeping up with people for the exact same reason you mentioned – we’re not close to everyone we care about. Granted, I don’t want to hear about what kind of toast they have for breakfast on a daily basis, but I do want to know what they’re up to. It just comes down to what is considered significant enough to post about, especially if it’s on a regular basis. I fully acknowledge that not everything I post about is significant, at least not to anyone but me. That’s the glory of the internet – irony! What I find infuriating in others, I do myself sometimes. I didn’t say it had to make sense. Hasn’t it often been said that what we find infuriating in others is often what secretly we hate about ourselves? I can see a glimmer of truth to that.

As for your post about something as serious as almost dying, I’m definitely sorry I missed that. I even just went back through your page and tried to find it but didn’t; I must just be overlooking it somehow. I try to post on things every once in a while on people’s pages, and definitely would have considered that worthy of attention, but it looks like it slipped through the cracks somehow. As you said yourself, sometimes we just get so overwhelmed because there is so much to read from so many people, things won’t always get noticed. Suffice it to say, I’m glad you didn’t die. Very glad.

I do complain a lot. A lot a lot a lot. I try to do it with humor, similar to this blog/rant. I try to use my frustrations as a sort of whimsical education for others, sort of a “don’t do this or you’ll annoy people” situation. Sometimes it works, sometimes it just makes people think I’m not grateful for my job. I am, truly. I love what I do, I just get frustrated with it. My frustration is not with teaching people how to use computers, or helping to fix something they broke, but with people who blatantly refuse to learn or listen. When I have to talk to the same people day in and day out, sometimes multiple times a day, that’s a sign of user error, not system error. But I stray from the topic at hand. :-p

We all have different talents, and I like to think I help balance mine against the talents of my friends. I don’t mind offering free IT support to my friends and family. They’d do the same for me, and I know that. It’s why I also don’t hesitate to ask for advise about house issues or anything else going on that I might need help with, because surely there’s somebody in my circle of friends that I’ve helped before that knows how to resolve my problem and would be happy to help return the favor. There doesn’t have to be an equal trade-off, but it’s nice to know that I can rely on those around me just as I make sure they know they can rely on me.

Thanks to your attention, and my time spent replying, my “worth meter” is off the charts today. Thanks Aunt Barbara. Love you too.

I never did see any pictures of Peyton though. I feel cheated of what was sure to be a very cute cat picture.

I read Facebook every day, and I love it being a place where I can keep up with what is going on in my family and friend’s lives. The “trivia” about what they had for dinner, or where they went and who they went with makes me feel that I am close to them instead of being hundreds of miles away.

I also read about how busy they are: working, going to school, raising children, home schooling, caring for others, looking for jobs, starting businesses, etc. All of these things take precedence over social networking. Time is at a premium for most people today.

There is no way I (or anyone else) have time to write a comment on every post. Yes, I love Jesus, but I don’t feel compelled to repost those things. And I don’t worry about what someone thinks about my love for Jesus just because I didn’t repost. Same thing goes for the posts about our troops and patriotism, etc. These things are important to them, so they post them. That’s OK.

Your comment about toast was cute, but I seem to remember several comments from someone about macaroni and cheese. Just remember, that while your post about mac and cheese is significant to you, it’s just toast to the rest of the Facebook world.

You are right about people wanting to be noticed—no one wants to be ignored. I’m not sure which of your significant posts were ignored, but I almost died a couple of weeks ago (for real). I posted it on Facebook and not one person commented on it. I don’t think a post gets more significant than that. Does that mean no one cares or that I have no worth. No, I just figured it got lost among the myriad other comments out there about cats and Jesus and film clips and video games and building a house and having mac and cheese for dinner.

So, I’m going to take your advice—here’s your kick in the shin: A lot of your posts are complaints about the people who call your help desk (you know, those people who are the reason you have a job and can buy a house). You complain about the people you work for when they ask you to work overtime or be on call (another group of people who are the reason you have a job and can buy a house). You complain about people asking you for FREE computer advice just because you have knowledge in that area. That’s sorta like a first-time home buyer asking people for FREE advice about building a home just because they have knowledge in that area.

God gives all of us different talents. What comes as easy to me as breathing, is a mountain for other people. What is second-nature to others is a mountain to me. No one person possesses all the knowledge in the world. Yes, we need to use our talents to make money to live. But sometimes we all need to share our talents with others to help turn life’s mountains into molehills. Loving and caring for others above ourselves is the glue that holds EVERYTHING together. No amount of money could ever buy the warm feeling you get when you use your God-given talents to ease the burdens in someone else’s life.

Now, I have spent my entire morning replying to your rant, so your “worth meter” ought to be registering really high!!!!!

Love you, Dean!