My friend, Euan Semple , asked a simple question on Facebook today:

"Why do you keep coming back to Facebook?"

I blew him off with a joke about Facebook Addicts Anonymous. I shouldn't have. It's a great question because it quickly points at a broad human truth. We are sentimental fools, all of us.

The wonderful thing about Facebook is the continual stream of people from 10, 15 years ago, that pop up and say "hi". Any one of them could have found me by typing my name into Google. But somehow, they feel safer, happier, or they find it easier to connect via Facebook.

Google has helped me answer some questions. Wikipedia has made me feel like a genius, because it gives me detailed background on anything. My blog has helped me make a huge number of new friends, it's gotten me speaking engagements and even got me my job.

Facebook has truly re-connected me with old friends.

Facebook has returned long lost friends that time and distance took away

Seeing pictures of the spouses and children of rugby players I used to coach. Hearing from professors I haven't talked to in 10 years. Seeing the amazing wonderful things that people I knew back in grade school have done with their lives. Facebook has delivered something very personal and really fantastic. It has given me back old friends.

Which brings me to a great tune by a late 90's Canadian band called Sandbox. These guys rocked. And, personally, I think they do a much better job of answering Euan's question than I do.

Caught a train, took a road
Searching for a pot of gold
Never knew, never told
And I wonder where you are, curious
There was a time I knew a man
Who traveled in a caravan
He said seek and you shall find
But I haven't found
And I wonder where you are, curious
And I wonder where you are, safe I trust
And I wonder where you are, curious