A Facebook Reply Draws A Lot Of Faces

A big group gathered for the KGMB reunion | Jade Moon photo

It started when a friend and former news colleague mentioned that she and her family had dined at a place called MW Restaurant. This wouldn’t have been especially noteworthy except for one fact: MW Restaurant is located in the old KGMB building on Kapiolani Boulevard.

So I dropped what I thought was a throwaway reply, something along the lines of, “Hey, we should get some old KGMB folks together and have lunch there.”

Did I mention this conversation was taking place on Facebook?

If this had been between just the two of us, nothing much would have happened because I’m not the luncheon-organizing type. Some people have the gift they’ll throw a party at the drop of a hat. I’m the opposite. I have to think about things and chew on the idea, and postpone making decisions and finally procrastinate the opportunity away.

But here’s what happens when you converse on Facebook: People see you. And that’s sort of the big deal about social media.

Immediately, and I mean within seconds, another former KGMB colleague jumped into the conversation. Yay, she said, I’m in! And then another friend jumped in. And then another. You get the picture. The whole thing sort of snowballed from that one casual comment.

There are a lot of people who hate social media. They think it’s a waste of time. They ignore it completely unless they’re forced to use it for work or business.

Then there are those who are totally in, and I’m not just talking about teens and tweens and college students. People of all ages are accepting this newfangled type of connection as a way of life.

I happen to be one of them. I’m on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I have a website and blog at jademoon808.com. Social media has given me an outlet for my photography hobby. In fact, the feedback, advice and encouragement I’ve received have pushed me to grow and improve faster than I would have otherwise.

For those who argue that the connections made this way are not “real” I say, what, exactly, is real? A phone call, an email? A face-to-face meeting? Of course. And so is a conversation on a social media site that leads to sharing or reconnecting or throwing an impromptu shindig. Social media, ever evolving and increasingly ubiquitous, is here to stay.

Getting back to the casual suggestion that turned into a lunch date that turned into a party that turned into a reunion – it turned out to be perfect. The gathering was fun, very loud and full of great “moments.” People greeted each other like the old friends they are. They hugged, laughed a lot and ate some really good food.

Speaking of food, Wade and Michelle Ueoka – he’s the chef, she’s the pastry chef – have created something special. They’ve gutted what used to be the KGMB engineering room and studio and transformed it into a beautiful, light-filled restaurant that takes local comfort food and kicks it up a few notches. I hope this young local couple gets a lot of community support.

We quickly discovered that the old friendships live on. KGMB may be gone, but it survives in the hearts of the many people who had the privilege of working there.

It was, after all, one of the really good things about Hawaii.

jmoonjones@yahoo.com

Twitter@JadeMoon1