Social Networking

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn! These are a few of the social networking sites that I use or have used quite frequently. They have proven to be of great service to me. I have been reunited with classmates, family members, business associates and some individuals that well.....just need a friend to talk to!

My first encounter of the power of these sites came approximately a year ago. If you have a Twitter account, then you are aware that the amount of personal information that is disclosed is limited (such as your date of birth, etc.) I was a Twitter addict and honestly had to ween myself from this site due to the continuous posts from Tweeple (people that use Twitter). I remember it quite clear, it was actually my birthday and I received a message from a gentleman that simply said "Happy Birthday!" How nice I thought! Then I realized that only my personal friends knew my date of birth. The gesture grabbed my attention and I immediately began a personal/private conversation with this individual. Who was it? My dear friend John Miller of www.eyecbeauty.com. The same gentleman that captured the wonderful photograph of myself that is displayed proudly on my blogs background. We affectionately call the photo, pink bubble. Thanks for reaching out John!!!

My second encounter was via Facebook...I found Roger!!! Enough said!!!

My most recent connection was also done utilizing the tools and resources that Facebook has to offer and this is the primary reason for this particular blog post today. I have been wrestling with how to appropriately represent these individuals without offending. Let's see how I do!

I love my niece dearly! I was 12 when she was born and I took her every place with the exception of school with me. Being that she was with me 90 percent of the time, unknowing individuals assumed she was my child. One dumb ass guy I was dating demanded I tell the truth about her birth, eventhough I was. Well dumb ass eventually allowed his frustrations to overtake him and finally called it quits to our relationship. I was 19 at the time, which would have made my niece seven years old. Was it possible for me to have a child 12 years my junior? Yes, however, I didn't lose my virginity until I was 17. Throughout the years Aiyana (my niece) and I have remained close, even with my transition to Arizona. When she needs someone to talk to whether it's good news, unfortunate news or matter's of the heart, my baby knows she can count on me! This is the part where I try to be nice (a bit). Her mother, my ex-sister (yes, I said ex-sister)is definitely cut from a different cloth. I don't know what happened...we grew up in the same household, ate the same food, dealt with the same situations, but that female ain't right. For whatever reason her Mom opted to keep the identity of her "real father" a secret. Aiyana's response to this situation 2 months ago was "I don't care who he is, I've made it this far without him in my life, so I don't care!" That was two months ago! Now let me tell you what she said three weeks ago.."Aunty, I want to find my Dad!" Well.............No, I wasn't there when my sister was giving up the coochy. I may have been in the other room when she was sneaking fella's into the house, but I didn't see the actual act itself. This made my assistance to my niece a tough one. All I could do was "pray and meditate" for guidance and instruction. Yes, I pray damn it!!! Let's flashback to 29 years ago. I did recall my sister was seeing two gentlemen at the time, One we all liked and the other well, we were basically scared of his ass. He would hug you and the next minute he would shoot you without any regrets. He was always nice to me thank goodness and he kept the bad boys away from me as well. We still see Mr. Mean Ass periodically. He actually stepped up to the plate and took care of my niece eventhough the DNA test proved otherwise.

The second gentleman that my sister was spending time with was a church going fella, mild mannered and respectable. I was able to remember his first name but was at a lost for his last. We met him at one of our infamous church gatherings and my sister was smitten with him. There also were two other gentleman that we both befriended (non sexual) The twins...David and Darryl, they played drums in the church choir and was very skilled with their talent. I had my first and biggest crush on Darryl. If my grandmother would have signed the paperwork, I would have married him at age 11. However, being that I was 11 at the time and he was 15, we both decided not to date. I did have one telephone conversation with him and recalled the two questions that I as a juvenille asked him. "What school do you attend? and "What is your last name?" People that was 30 years ago. When my niece told me she wanted to know who her Dad was, these two gentlemen were my only link to finding him. I've shared with you previously how awesome my memory can be, but this is a true testimony! I could not remember the twins last name to save my life! I initially started going through each letter of the alphabet in my mind in hopes of stumbling upon their last names. Well, when that didn't work that's when I began my prayer and meditation. Ten minutes after praying....The last name popped in my head clear as day. So what did I do next? I used Facebook of course.......I found David!!! I began asking him questions as it related to his youth, especially asking him if he had a twin brother named Darryl (my hearthrob). I then began explaining to him my reason for reaching out to him and his reply was "OMG, call me now!" I did just that. He in turn did a conference call with my niece's possible uncle and it all began to unfold. Aiyana and her possible uncle are making plans to have a DNA test done in the very near future. Unfortunately, her possible father passed away 3 years ago and she will not have the chance of meeting him. Either way, she has a new possibility of brothers and sisters that she will eventually meet.

Some individuals shy away from social networking, but with the recent experiences I've had with Facebook and Twitter....I say "search on and enjoy responsibly!"

PSSST...