~LIFE HAPPENS and it is GREAT~

Yesterday brought with it an unexpected trip to the eye doctor and the result was no blogging for me!  I found out you really can't SEE when your eyes are dilated! :)

If you are a subscriber (or even if you aren't) of FACE BOOK then maybe you've caught the latest buzz about the new movie about it's founder.  I'm actually a bit surprised at myself because I really do want to see it and generally I could give two-hoots about such a thing.  Even though there seems to be some credible controversy around who actually started the company, I've decided that anyone (or any-three) who can reach billionaire status by the age of 26 or 27 is worth at least a tiny bit of my attention.  Truthfully though...it's not the money that draws me in but understanding the amount of passion it took to create something that has ultimately taken on a life of it's own.

 Now...I'm not really into FB all that much.  I visit it...I've prowled around on it and on occasion I'll post new pics of my family.  When my brother-in-law suffered a stroke 14 months ago FB really helped my sister easily connect with family and friends.  She'd update her page nearly every day so anyone on her "Friend List" could read her hubby's progress without her having to send personal emails out to everyone.  That made FB more than fine in my book...

What I didn't expect (and I'm hearing about this all the time) was to reconnect with an old college friend my Mr. AGPMan and I lost contact with just before we married.  Finding him after years of searching nearly took my breath away.

I first met Dennis because he was the roommate of a guy I had gone out with a couple of times on campus.  I was immediately taken with his soft spoken voice and it was during the one shared semester we had at SNU that Dennis, my (future) hubby Steven (who I had just started dating), and I would become great friends.  I never dreamed when we all said our goodbyes for Christmas Break of 1977 that many, many years would pass before the three of us would ever speak again.  Because of illness Mr. D didn't return to school that following semester and it was over those next few months Steven would withdraw from school while passing.  

So many changes in so little time.  Thinking back on those days now I wonder what in the world any of us were thinking...

Life just happens...it just does!

Now...you must remember that back in the late 70's it wasn't as easy to find people the way it is today.  There was no internet or cell phones back then and all I knew was the name of the town Dennis was from.  I tried finding him by calling out of state "Information" but there was never a listing for his name.  Steven and I married and moved...and moved...and moved.  Then we had babies...moved some more and some more before finally settling back in Oklahoma only a few miles from where the three of us had attended school.

Over the passing years my hubby and I talked of Dennis often.  We found ourselves laughing more than once about

 

the water snake crawling over my feet while we were at the lake studying or of the two of them climbing up to the top of a very tall campus tree while I looked on in horror.  I remember screaming frantically for them both to come down as I was certain they would fall to their death or at the very least become wheelchair bound as a result of their silly antics.  I suppose you had to be there...but, trust me when I tell you they were acting like they were NUTS and taking really scary chances with their lives!  When they finally did make their way back to ground level I was so hoppin' mad at the two of them I could barely speak.  As fate would have it I had Steve's camera with me that afternoon and so somewhere in our keepsakes I have pictures of them acting like the two 21 year old boys men they once were...

Every now and then either Steve or I would talk about Mr. D and I would always end the conversation with "I wish we could find Dennis!"  So one day while surfing around on FB I spotted the name of his old roommate and I immediately went to his "list" hoping against hope our long-lost buddy's name would be there.  Fully expecting disappointment I casually scrolled down each name until I reached the "D's".  After gasping for a couple of seconds I called out to my guy to come quick!  I couldn't believe it.  I was in shock...

"I've just found Dennis!"  I said

"I'VE JUST FOUND DENNIS!!!"

Steven and I both just sat in silence for a minute without speaking.  It had been over 32 years since we'd seen or heard from our beautiful friend.  After contacting him through FB we e-mailed each other a few times and then had a marathon phone conversation to catch up on the passing of years.  Dennis, who never married, has had an amazing life and Steven and I both stand in awe of his commitment to his faith and the incredible calling he has on his life.  I'll be sharing with you more about his journey is the coming months...  Right now we are both trying to take it all in for ourselves~

So...in the end, no matter what we hear about the negative side of social networking I do believe the good always outshines the not-so-good.

Yes...Life just happens.  It just does...

And...it is GREAT!

Blessings for a beautiful day~

Love to you...