Food for thought

As I was anxiously awaiting a response to an invitation that I had sent out through facebook, I thought that I would log in and see who had responded. As the website was loading, I noticed that I had a friend request, which surprised me not only because I didn't see the response from my invitees, but also because, well, friend requests on my page are always surprising. I love getting that message, too, because it is during that brief moment in time when the potential is there for it to be anybody in the world, be it a lost loved one from the eighth grade, or that person that you exclaim to the world that you never want to speak to again, but secretly hope that he or she befriends you as a catalyst for reconnection (and we all know I have those people in my life!) Upon opening the friend request, I saw that it was from a man named Maurizio. Now, there are a lot of people that I know with foreign and unusual names, but I was certain that I had never met a Maurizio. I mean, I have had anonymous encounters before, but his profile indicated that he was from Italy and I was clearly at a loss as to whom this gentleman might be. And then I saw it. His last name was Renna. Imagine that. Some random fellow across the ocean was bored one night and decided to see how many people with the same last name was a member of facebook, and he came across me. Now, Renna (Italian for reindeer for all you trivia buffs) is not a very common name, and so I indulged his request and accepted the invite. Didn't really mean much other than the fact that I now had yet another friend on my facebook list whom I would never hear from again. But, being the philosophiser that I am (yes, I know I denied that label in my first post, but several of you called me out on it), I started thinking. My first thought was "what if he's related to me?" It's quite a major point on the technological scoreboard to connect several generations of cousins many times removed to each other despite distance both geographically and socially. But the possibility is there. What if his great grandmother and my great-great grandfather were brother and sister? I think it's kind of cool to find a link if there is one, or at least contemplate the existence of such a bond. Maybe I'm putting too much thought into this, as usual, but it would be cool to have a connection in Italy, should I ever decide to visit.
In other news, I have found (again, through the internet. Thank God for technology) a group of people located in Westchester that organizes hikes up different mountains in the Hudson Valley. They have a website and post different trips that they are taking as a group. If you are free and have the desire to expend a little energy, an affirmative RSVP and a pair of hiking boots are all that is needed to turn a boring day into one of adventure. If anybody is interested in tagging along, even if it's only for one hike, let me know. Perhaps these hikes can replace my Wii Fit with the program I'm trying to follow (though unfaithfully) to lose the extra pounds. Not that I could ever replace my Wii Fit...