Many of my friends use social networking sites like Facebook. It is a way to sorta, kinda keep in touch with folks that we don't see everyday. Really, this medium is a poor excuse for a relationship conduit, but it can serve as a means to broadcast bits and pieces of news like the birth of a child, an upcoming event, or random happenings and thoughts from our lives. Now, those of you who use Facebook and the like will really appreciate my statement about random bits and pieces. Some folks, including myself at times, post such silly and off the wall things, that one might fear for our sanities. However, it is just us being us, spreading an emotion and, perhaps, a smile.When you join one of the social networking sites, you are initially asked to fill out a profile. This amounts to some basic facts about you, your favorite books, your hometown, where you live, etc. You also fill in your relationship status. The system then broadcasts this out into every corner of cyberspace and other parts unknown. This got me to thinking, wouldn't our lives be so much better if we had something that we could check to truly know the status of our relationships. For some couples, the status would be very much like the Doomsday Clock. It would indicate that they were in severe trouble and their world was very close to coming to a nasty and explosive end. For others, the status update would just serve to remind them of the effort a relationship takes to be successful. It could serve to give them a gentle nudge, "Hey idiot, when was the last time you showed your wife how much she meant to you" or "Perhaps you could at least make the slightest effort in looking good for your partner, perhaps even retire that danged stained muumuu and put on something a bit more stylish." Of course, this last reminder would be for the women. However, if it was applicable for a man, it could flash on your screen followed by a couple of exclamation points. What do you think? Am I on to something here?
