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I was early to my lunch "appointment," not so much because of nerves, as I am just a freak about being punctual.

However, the extra time gave me time to question my sanity and then become nervous.

I hadn't seen my lunch date since 1981, back when I was a junior in high school. Though we're the same age, Ann would graduate early and move on to college, while I stayed behind and had kids.

What do you say after 28 years? I wasn't totally in the dark about her or she about me, as technology played a part in our getting "virtually" reacquainted less than a month before her first trip home in 18 years (we were not in contact then) through the social networking site Facebook.

Social networking and my name are not one of those things that go hand-in-hand. I am rather a hermit and my family is not much for writing to each other. So when my auntie Kay suggested it and touted its photo sharing, I signed on tentativly.

I soon learned that old classmates, family, co-workers and random people wanted to see what my life is like.

It was too weird at first, but now I log on once a week and download photos or answer questions -- if there are questions -- as next to "tweeting" on Twitter, this application seems handy to say earth shattering news like:

"Grrr";

"Michael Jackson is dead! I want to die too"; and

"I had cereal for breakfast."

It oddly creates some "virtual" social pressures, such as my younger sister being unsure if she was witty enough to post.

After hearing a Facebook friend declare he unfriends people that jam up his page with junk, I wondered what happens if I bore someone. Will I know? Do you get a message that reads, "Boring person: you no longer have access to this page"?

It can remind you of the first time in junior high lunch room wondering if someone will let you sit by them.

It also creates mini-quandries by deciding who you let in -- like co-workers. I'm weird; do they really need to know how weird?

It does have some great benifits and one of them walked in the door for lunch..

Everyone says it, but Ann really did look exactly like she did in high school. I only had an hour but it worked out just fine as I knew her background from her page, so we got to spend time talking important stuff like "Grr, what to eat for lunch? Not cereal I had it for breakfast."

Nan Misner is the Clarion editorial assistant. She can be reached at nancianna.misner@peninsulaclarion.com.