MySpace

I know I gripe about MySpace, but I do really enjoy it. Except when it's really slow and keeps giving me error messages.

But, it has helped me get back in touch with and stay in touch with many of my friends (especially from college). I graduated from Marshall University. I had a tight group of friends who really meant the world to me - they still do, in lots of ways. Sure, we've all changed, grown older, but I have this kinship with these people I will never have with any other friends.

Let's face it, you do a lot of experimenting and changing during college. For many of us, it's our first time on our own. I had never lived in an apartment by myself prior to college. Dad paid for it, but still, it felt like mine. And, I maintained my own schedule. I didn't have to answer to anyone about where I was going or when.

My parents lived about an hour from the university, so I would go home most weekends. But, I had a boyfriend who went to college in Charleston, so he was a big draw to come "home" - even though I spent those weekends at his house. His mom was really laid back and didn't care that we shacked up on weekends.

Anyway, being able to reconnect with these college friends after all these years has been fantastic. The free-est and most wonderful years of my life. Pre-husband and kids, pre-mortgage and full time job(s). Not that I regret any of those things... College was just a fun filler before I got on with what I consider the main attraction of my life.

MySpace has brought all that back to me again. I have friends who have posted old pictures of me and they're a hoot. I had a mohawk for a short period of time, but I don't believe any pictures exist of that (it only lasted about 3 weeks before my hair was grown back out to a crew cut, which I wore for a year or two). And, I've been able to dig up pics from my old friends and post those as well. We partied a lot and did a lot of growing up around each other, too.

After I graduated, I often would joke with my dad that my education was "just one big party - with a $40,000 cover charge." He'd laugh. But, in my heart, my desire was to pay him back for that education - although realistically, I probably never could have. Those 5 years (yes, laugh if you will, it just took me one year longer!) were amazing and I'm so glad to have MySpace and many of my closest college friends close to me again. The internets is good.