Many people don’t realize it, but if you belong to Facebook, your online friends become your virtual family. You live their lives with them everyday. Most of the time you know more about your Facebook family than the ones you are related to.

Stephen Sorokoff is one of my Facebook friends. I know him better than he knows me. The only reason we are connected is because we have mutual friends, Chuck Steffan and Ron Abel ( pictured in the center of the above photo). I’m not even sure if Stephen is aware that we follow each other on Facebook.

It doesn’t matter. I enjoy all of Stephen’s postings because he lives life to the fullest. He is my ideal of how a senior can have it all: work, play, lots of time for family. Sorokoff prospered in the textile business and then reinvented himself as a writer and photographer for show biz magazines. If there is a concert, a cabaret act, a Broadway Show, or nightclub performance, you will see the Sorokoffs in attendance. He posts his comings and goings everyday so we can all enjoy his passionate and entertaining journeys.

I was very surprised today to learn that Stephen was taking a break from Facebook. His reasoning is understandable, but it’s a rather sad statement on the rest of the world.

This is what Stephen Sorokoff said on Facebook. “I think I will leave FB for a while. I just don’t have enthusiasm about posting enjoyable activities while at the same time following the evil that exists on our planet. The insanity and speciousness of our world is getting to me. It was David Pearl first, and now another journalist beheaded.

“There is a lack of understanding of Israel’s predicament to defend itself against these types of terrorists. I used to ask my now deceased father how the world did not understand and did not have the courage to stand up to Hitler. I cannot understand how the world is letting people who only want to eliminate us obtain the Atomic bomb.

“Women and children are being buried alive. Where are the indignant letters? the editorials? the marches? It just doesn’t seem right to be posting about nice times and I certainly don’t want to start debating FB friends about these issues. Check my friend Roy Niederhoffer’s page for that. He’s way more intelligent and better at this than I am. There are no grey areas or root causes for me. The show must go on and I’ll be back when I feel better.”

Any comments on what you just read?