A Sign of the Times

Tonight I found out that my super cool Great Grandma died.

The summer after I graduated high school, I spent a couple weeks with her and my Grandparents in Rhode Island.  In my mind, I will probably always picture her on the screened in back patio of her cabin on the Cape, arguing with my Grandpa about some silly and crazy thing.  She was a tough lady and she could hold her own.  There were stacks of books everywhere and photos of her travels.  She was an explorer this woman and she saw the world.

Wicked smart, a sharp tongue that only she could get away with and an adventurous and carefree spirit.  She was simply, one of a kind.  As a child, I remember her Christmas cards that held photos of different travels.  Riding camels, standing next to elephants, near the pyramids and faraway beaches.  As a young adult, she gave me grief over kissing with my husband and told me stories of when she chased a man with a shotgun.  There was simply no one like my Great Grandma Barbara.

I'm sad that she has died and she will be missed.  A woman such as her, she put her mark on this world and forever changed the lives of people she met.  But I'm comforted in the fact that she lived an amazing life.  A long and full life and for the most part- I think a happy one.  You just can't ask for anything more.

With that being said- the reason I'm sharing this with all of you is just a little disturbing.  At least to me.  I found out she had died via Facebook.  Yeah- you heard me.  Facebook.

Gah.

I don't know about you but I'm definitely old fashioned in a few of the societal norms.  I prefer to find out that a beloved family member has died either in person or via phone.  Hell- even Skype would have been better then Facebook.  Imagine...scrolling through your news feed and you come upon a RIP with a picture of dear old Grandma.  Yeah- no.

And then that got me thinking....is this the new norm?  I realize we are announcing all sorts of things on Facebook these days- marriages, engagements, pregnancies, births but deaths?  Really?!?  That just seems so wrong....

Listen- I can totally understand if you're posting information about a Memorial Service or Funeral.  Or you know that everyone in the family has been told of a person's death and you simply want to share your sadness with all your Facebook "friends".  I get that.  But I just don't understand posting stuff that's SO personal and effects lots of other people without giving any thought to how this might trickle down.  It's not like you posted that you lost your job or your cat died....this is about someone who LOTS of people knew and loved and to find out in your Facebook feed while scrolling between articles on GMO's and silly cat videos?!?  Ick.

But then again, maybe it's just me.

Maybe I simply conduct myself differently then the majority of people do in our current society.  And perhaps I'm in the wrong for thinking this isn't acceptable.  Are we so wrapped up in our electronic world that we forget how the real world works?  Is the really the new normal?!?

God- I hope not.

But who knows really....but what I do know is that I lost someone awesome and no one bothered to actually call me and tell me.  And that's pretty damn sad.  A sad sign of the times...

So to my Great Grandma Barbara- you were seriously the coolest old lady I knew.  Don't forget to send me a postcard from Heaven- I'm sure it's your best adventure yet.