Many lives--all connected by Facebook

I have been on Facebook for about six months and it has revealed something to me. I have lived a life of many layers. Those layers are revealed in my friend list and by the types of conversations I have. I truly have become addicted to social networking through the use of technology.

I guess the layers struck me this week when I was re-connected with my 80-year-old journalism professor, Bill Ward. He was a stunning teacher and a very demanding mentor who had a profound impact on my life at age 19. He reported he was fine and living in Virginia. I found Ward because a former j-student friend of mine, Alice Noble, had found me on Facebook. She was trying to get me to come back for a reunion of the Daily Alestle, the newspaper of SIUE. I was the news editor back in 1978 when I hired a young man to write sports. His name was Bill Plashcke, and he went on to become a famous newspaper columnist and regular on ESPN's "Around the Horn." SIUE was putting Bill into the university's Hall of Fame. I doubt I'll make it.

The reason why the Ward connection was so ironic was that I have so of my former students as friends on Facebook. I love keeping track of their lives. It reminds me of a very special time in my life when I truly enjoyed being a teacher and mentor.

There are the Bethalto folk who knew me for 40 years as a member of that community. They seem to have a rough time understanding how I could enjoy being in Texas. Trust me, Texas is cool.

There are the Fairfield folk who were so important to me when I weaned myself from Bethalto. I dearly miss Friday nights at the Train Yard and hoops in the Mule Barn. I will always find Fairfield to be my second home. It was there that I was able to raise my kids and find Carol. There are some very special people at a small community college there who I love.

Then there are the Texas folk. They never knew Mike Dreith when he was a broadcaster, a teacher or a struggling father of three rascal sons. They seem to accept me...and for that I am grateful.

And then there are the Dreiths.....people that I am related to who like to keep track of my life journey. I have two sons back in St. Louis who reveal more to me on Facebook than they do on the phone. I appreciate getting the info....no matter how I get it.

One thing they all seem to hold in common. With the notable exception of the folks here in Texas----the rest of them seem to find the whole "Dr. Dreith" thing to be particularly funny. In fact anyone that knew me in my teens and twenties seem to find it outright hilarious.

I never introduce myself with the title...and don't expect it when people use it.

I'm moving in on 150 Facebook friends and I have learned a lot about all of you. I've also learned about me. I have led many lives.....and I have concluded I like the one I'm living now.