by Tom
Remember when you did a good job at something and someone gave you a high five? They commented “Atta boy!” for a job well done. They hoisted you on their shoulders as they doused you with champagne celebrating a victory. Following the path of the dinosaur, the palm pilot and cellular phones the size of a brick, those expressions are heading for extinction. They have been replaced with the “Like”, “Comment” or “Share”. Yes, Facebook has put the nail in the coffin of something other than Myspace. Our lives are now displayed virtually for all of our friends, families and acquaintances. Our way of showing approval is to click “Like” next to the funny photo of Aunt Mildred’s cat. Sharing a viral video of a chubby Indian kid doing the worm is the way of confirming your allegiance with the tribe. The “Comment” is the ultimate showcase, like placing a bumper sticker on the back of your Ford Escort with you own contrived TGIF or Beam Me Up Scotty. Like the dreams you had in Elementary school of standing in front of the class room in your underwear, Facebook has become your naked avatar. Everything about you is now on display for your peers to review.
What does this have to do with Jiu Jitsu? Everything! In all fairness, Facebook is an excellent way to build the BJJ team. We get to know aspects of our team members that we might never have known. The big sweaty guy in the Gi is now viewed in a different light. He is now the loving father, college student or successful businessman. We get to know each other and discover the human side of our sparring partners. We can share in the victories of the tournament we could not attend. We give our virtual “Atta boy!” to our team mates every time we click “Like” next to their tourney pictures and videos. We find out that we have more in common with each other than just our passion for Jiu Jitsu. Facebook helps us to become more than just a BJJ team; we become members of an extended family.
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