Mary Schneider posted this image on Facebook. It so happens I was about to write on how I feel about so-called friends on Facebook.In the context of the above funeral scene, it shows the number of friends one had on FB is no indication of the actual turnout at one's funeral, which is understandable.
In case some people did not realize, close friends are likely to be in touch, by phone if not in person. FB is great where friends or relations are separated by distance. It is also good for looking up long lost friends. But where the names are common, it can be frustrating going through a long list, with some faceless ones, when trying to look for a long lost friend or relative. Most require that you are already their friend before you could check for more details to confirm if you have got the right person. I had my fair share of friends who promised to 'accept' but for some reasons, did not! There are also people who are afraid of others knowing about their being in touch with old flames. In other words, we should not be too bothered by description nor whether one is already someone's friend on FB. Really close friends are likely not to be friends on FB!
I have recently added an ex-classmate in college. Somehow, for the first time, I was asked to tick whether she is 'close' friend. I did and she becomes my first and till now, my only close friend! The reason was because I did run through my list of friends on FB and most of them are relatives who cannot be considered friends because we are related. Then there are politicians who I used to be associated with or I admire from a distance. There is another ex-classmate in Kelantan who I had not met since I last visited him in University of Singapore 40 years ago! So how close is close? I knew him at the same time as my so-called 'close friend' on FB, when in college, but never in touch until I found him in FB. Besides, there are new friends I have yet to meet in person! In the case of those I don't really know, sometimes, it is difficult not to accept someone's good intention to be friend.
I am sure there are those who check on someone's friends to find out more about certain persons. Well, for those who are worried about being spied on, then they should not be on FB!
What Antares posted this morning of Feb 16:
Update: Lydia Teh's Let's be friends in The Sun on March 6:
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