Two birthdays

Two notable birthdays occur this week; the birth of two fun and interesting,  (but very different sorts of) ‘toys.’

You might have noticed the avalanche of “Facebook Movies” this week. The wave of these compilations serve as a part of the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the launching of Facebook. Quite a world away, 50 years ago, GI Joe made his debut at a toy festival in New York.

I’m sure if I was a bit more clever, I could come up with a segway to link these two milestones. I can’t.

The best I can do is to say that two things I have spent a great deal of time with at various points in my life both started this week…40 years apart.

Most toys are like fads. They come and they go. But, when you find one that stands the test of time – half a century – you know you have a good thing. When the Hasbro company first introduced G.I. Joe, our nation’s participation in the Vietnam war was escalating and our adoration of the WWII generation was palpable.

Joe has entertained multiple generations of kids with his adventures as he has navigated decade after decade. Even as attitudes about war and the military have ebbed and surged, his popularity has stood strong. At first, GI Joe was a full size doll – think ‘real’ boyfriend of Barbie. Then, he became an action figure – think Star Wars. And now, he’s back to full size again.

I have a feeling generations of kids to come will be entertained by a world of possibilities brought home by this venerable hero.

And, as those future generations grow up, they will likely have Facebook – in one form or another – as a social media tool and entertainment pastime.

To imagine what life was like before there was a Facebook, you just have to remember the many stories I’ve written about reconnecting with friends. In the 1990s and before, that would take a great deal of luck and some persistence.

Now, almost everyone you know has a Facebook page thanks to Mark Zuckerberg and Co. If you don’t want to be found online, you have to take steps to avoid it.

The Gary kids communicate via this channel, I keep up with friends and former co-workers and I connect with new friends and fellow church members. It is also a great tool to help me get out the daily updates on Coach Jeff’s Blog. 

Basically, there are four ways you can access this site. Updates come to your email in box (if you subscribe). You can also visit the site via Tumblr as many followers do. There is also a Twitter feed that goes out each night, including  a link to Coach Jeff’s Blog.

And, of course, many people access the site when I post updates via Facebook. In any case, it’s a wonderful communication channel.

As we go forward, I imagine I will continue to update the blog and will continue to post those notifications on FB. You’ll be able to learn updates about me and my family (and I’ll be able to do the same for you).

And who knows? Maybe we’ll also learn about the further adventures of GI Joe?

JG

Originally posted 2/6/2014