Social Networking: Erma Bombeck and Baltimore Oreoles Earl Weaver

Lately, media sources have been putting the fear of God into viewers by saying that having a Facebook account can be hazardous to your identity. Take precautions, but don't listen to the doomers and gloomers. There is gold in them there hills.

I have a personal philosophy “Everything in moderation.” That includes social networking and sites like Facebook and Twitter.

If you have been hesitant about joining Facebook, I’d like you to see the bright side - it’s a way to keep in touch with friends and relatives that live too far away to punch in the nose, or pop in for good conversation and coffee.

Recently, I met with a group of friends in Dayton, Ohio, at the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop. Some of them live in California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas. We communicate on Facebook almost daily. Our mascot and friend, E. B. Heron also has a fan page there as well. Its called the “The Letters and Travels of E. B. Heron.” In fact, several of my friends have published articles and written books. They post links on Facebook and Twitter, so we can all enjoy them. We stay in touch.

Mo Rocca covered the Workshop for Charles Osgood's CBS Sunday Morning. He contacted all of us this morning with a clip of his interview with our friend, Tracy Beckerman, author of "Rebel Without a Minivan."



It made me reflect on how wonderful it could have been, if social networking technology was available in Erma's day.

Then, my Facebook friend from Baltimore, Sister Mary Wojo (see photo), contacted me about baseball season and what it means to her:


Baltimore comedienne, Michele Wojciechowski


Sister writes content for a really cool site called “Welcome to Baltimore, Hon!” her input is all about Baltimore and her nostalgic remembrances of the area. If you live there, you have to bookmark the site.

Once, she elaborated on the Baltimore burial site of poet, Edgar Allen Poe, which had been blessed for many years with roses and tequila on his birthday. This time, however, she told me that she has a special place in her heart for Baltimore Orioles’ Earl Weaver. She prays for him every day.

Sister reminds us all about the trials and tribulations of playing good baseball:



Yes, social networking is a good thing!