Bittersweet Facebook bios

I've been on Facebook for quite a long time, but used it infrequently - mostly to see the pictures posted by a few friends.

But recently, I've run into a large group of folks I knew about 20 years ago.

It's fascinating to get these little snapshots of their lives. Most have been the predictable "went to college, got married, had kids."

Then there are a few that were stories of great sadness and victory.

One fellow who was always a thinker has some books he's written.

Another who had the best sense of humor of anyone I've ever met has become a doctor. (Can you imagine how much more at ease you'd be with a doc who didn't take himself, or life, too seriously?) In the midst of rejoicing at seeing him have that success, I noticed that he's gone through a divorce, and some custody strangeness with his kids. So, you get 20 years of history, condensed into one 10 minute Facebook reunion. And you wonder ... do I send condolences, congratulations, what?

A lot, apparently, can get squeezed into 20 years. I, on the other hand, am still wearing some of the same clothes, and reading the same books. Some of us just don't DO change.