Friend or Foe?

 Let’s say you’re drinking a steaming hot cup of coffee or tea, and enjoying lots of laughs, but wasting tons of time.  Does it sound like you’re spending time with a friend or foe? Perhaps it depends on what you think a good laugh is worth and how you value your time.  Lots of people post videos on YouTube but I bet they’re split about whether YouTube is a friend or foe.   

As a child, a certain show became a part of my morning routine.  My parents left for work early, so there was only an ole sailor who almost seemed like a buddy to share the morning with me.  On his show, he always offered a taste of reality (actual animal guests, I think) and fantasy, in the form of cartoons.  He wanted you to send in your pictures, and if you did, they might appear on television.  Does anyone remember dear old Captain Noah?  See if this video brings back memories.  Warning: the song may become stuck in your head!

Yup, he’s still out there in video land, along with all of the other long-forgotten shows and, because of YouTube, my children can see the shows that I watched growing up.  How else can you expose today’s youth to the TV “culture” of the past?  It wasn’t all bad, but then came the show that redefined the term “bad television.” I’m talking about the wacky fore-runner of American Idol but, I bet very few of those folks made it to Hollywood.  Watch how the show’s judges and host entertained the audience between contestants:

I admit that there is definitely some garbage on YouTube, but there are also some real gems out there, too.  It takes a bit of poking around to find the great videos and as you can see by my posts, I do like the visual element videos add to a story.  A picture is worth ten thousand words.  So, in response to the original question, YouTube: Friend or Foe?  Let’s just say when I plop down at my computer with a cup of tea, I should keep an egg timer alongside me.

Different friends meet different needs in our lives.  Some offer wisdom, while others provide laughs. Who is your best friend and how does he or she enhance the relationship?