Dear Mark,

Remember the old AT&T slogan, “Reach out and touch someone”*? Well Mark, I have to say you’ve really simplified that…

Now, we just click.

How many endless hours, days, weeks, months, and years have I spent on various typing and clicking activities, many of them on Facebook? A LOT.

But I have to tell you that the most consequential of my actions was my power of observation, as you’ll see.

It began around five-and-a-half years ago, in the late fall of 2015. I’d already been using your great platform for about seven years by then. So I was used to the ebb and flow of posts and comments, images and text, pages and groups and timelines and reactions and on and on.

As an avid user, I was active in at least a dozen groups that matched my interests. One particularly intriguing group at that time was called “Montreal Memories.” Its members were about evenly divided among current residents of Montreal (including me), and wistful expatriates longing for a taste of home.

So far so ordinary, right Mark? Yes, but here’s the thing. One evening as I was commenting on various posts in Montreal Memories, I noticed that one person in particular would “like” whatever I wrote. I kept seeing the same name… and in a couple of other groups too! He certainly seemed to appreciate my comments.

Well, Mark, I just had to find out who this person was. So I clicked on his name: John Boone.

Hmm. Nice-looking fellow! But… he had a moustache. Dang. I never liked moustaches before. But… he had such a nice face…

Mark, as time passed, this subtle interplay continued, until finally, I think it was around Christmas 2015, I sent John an invitation to “chat” in Messenger.

One thing led to another. Eventually we exchanged silly, soulful, and (finally) sexy selfies! We started to talk on the phone. We had a first visit some months later. (John lived about 700 km, i.e. 420 miles from me – in Sudbury, home town of Alex Trebek! – although he was from Montreal originally.) It was a very long bus ride, so it couldn’t be repeated too often. But my gosh did we get along!

See, the main thing, Mark, is that he had me laughing! I never laughed so much in my life! And after one phone call that lasted four hours, much of it spent 😂😂😂😂😂😂, I had the undeniable feeling that this was MY GUY.

I remember John and I often texting each other during work as I giggled… my office mate was very understanding – thanks Anne!! 😁

I’d been divorced for such a long time, my divorce certificate was turning yellow with age. (John was also divorced.) But I’d pretty much given up on actively searching for another partner. I kept busy with friends, work, my grown kids, online stuff, and my sweet kitty.

That first wonderful visit John and I had was almost five years ago. He moved in with me in the fall of 2018. Yesterday we shopped for rings and my wedding outfit. We are getting married this summer.

Mark Zuckerberg, we owe it all to you. Unfortunately we can’t invite you to the wedding; you’re not in our bubble. In fact we’re only having an officiant and two witnesses (one of whom will be my daughter).

But we thank you immensely.

Sincerely,

Ellie Presner and John Boone

 

*Reach out and touch someone, advertising long-distance telephone service for AT&T Corp., coined in 1979 by Anthony (Tony) P. Galli and Stanley Lomas. Music composed by David Lucas. [from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._W._Ayer_%26_Son#AT&T%5D