A Golden Connection

The movie The Social Network was recently awarded four Golden Globes at this year’s ceremony including Best Motion Picture Drama. Although the story deals a lot with the lawsuits following Facebook’s launch, it also portrays the power behind such a site. It detailed the popularity of the site with phrases like “Facebook me” and the expansion across universities which took off like a slow rapid fire. The Social Network for many critics was a great movie. I, for one, enjoyed it and found it to be a nice inside look at how it started, even though the movie is not the full truth. Still, I see the spread and power of Facebook that I have noticed in my own world in the movie.

In winning these awards, The Social Network is proven to be a worthy movie, but I think Facebook deserves awards itself too. The connections and reconnections that come from such a site allow people to recreate moments from years ago. You can check up on people you knew when you were little and see what their lives are like now. You can even check up on your friends, who may be away at college or not, and see what they are doing. Or, as in my case, you can find your first kiss.

Now, no, I don’t mean I had yet to be kissed, then met some guy, and changed all of that. I am talking about the first guy I ever kissed. He was actually a part of my mother’s daycare when it first began and he came for quite a few years. Eventually, his mother had to move so he and sister stopped coming. This was at least twelve years ago. I am now 21 and he 24. I know all of this because of Facebook. On Thanksgiving, he sent me a message asking me if I remembered him. And I did! That night, in the middle of trying to have dinner with my family, I was on Facebook through my phone going back and forth, me messaging him, and him me. I remember someone saying I was being anti-social that night, distracted by technology. I quickly defended myself and said I was reconnecting.

And that is exactly what we did. We eventually exchanged numbers that night and kept the conversation going through texts. You would swear we had never spent a day away from each other the way we went on joking and having fun. I was all smiles the entire night and I’m pretty sure everyone in the room noticed it. After a while of texting, we agreed to see each other over the weekend. It did cross my mind that this could have been some guy impersonating my guy, but he knew too much so I figured there would be no harm. We settled on Saturday and I was nervous from that point on. A million things crossed my mind. What if he’s fat now? How do I know he doesn’t have all these kids and baby mommas running around? What if he was something worst? Would I be safe going out with him?

As much as I may say I questioned it, I didn’t really. I went with my gut feeling and it didn’t fail me. He wasn’t fat or ugly or anything. In fact, he was just how I remembered him, only older and taller. And no girlfriend! That night was filled with great conversation, catching up, and a kiss to end it. I didn’t want it to end, but I also couldn’t wait to get home and tell my best friend everything. I remember him asking what would have happened to us if we hadn’t lost touch. I don’t know, but now that we have regained it, neither of us wants to lose it. Facebook may have created the best off-screen duo in a real life story, of course I don’t want to rush into anything, but the social network deserves an award just like The Social Network.

~Michelle Mitchell