Facebook / Social Networking

I'm excited! Tomorrow I get to have lunch with my one of best friends from late elementary / middle school. We lost touch after my family moved away from New Orleans - remember that was before social networking was a glint in some geek's eye.

We found each other on facebook and finally decided it was time to actually see each other in person. It's been 20 years since I saw Marti last. We talked on the phone for the first time the other day and we both had so much to say we were talking over each other. At age 11/12/13, we had a lot in common - we both loved to read and were smarter than a public school education was really able to challenge. Marti and I started each other on our romance novel habit - she provided her grandmother's harlequins and I provided romances I checked out of the public library. (Another girl named Candace was part of our swap group until her mother found the good ones and threw them away. :) I'd forgotten all about that until M. reminded me. I lmao)

Have you reconnected with a long lost friend on facebook or another social networking site? Has it made your life easier/harder? Does it help you communicate with others or do you feel more isolated because it's all online?

UPDATE: Marti and I were able to get together yesterday (Tuesday, 4/13) after having to miss last week.

I drove down to New Orleans and picked her up for lunch. It was one of those perfect South Louisiana days that we get for about two weeks every year - 75 degrees, crystal clear skies and a nice breeze. We ate out on the courtyard at Mona's, a Lebanese restaurant around the corner from her office.

It was awesome! We talked for 2 hours straight - there were no lulls in the conversation. I think we'd still be talking if we were still there. I'm so glad we've reconnected. Hopefully I won't go 20 years without seeing/talking to her again :)

And, if you're curious, here's a picture of Eleanor McMain Secondary School where we attended 7th and 8th grade together.