He has 567 friends.

My son the Navy guy is home for a few days on leave and I was quizzing him about just how this Facebook stuff works.

Facebook is the social networking Web site which allows people (mostly young people) to stay connected and make new acquaintances through the Internet.

Thomas has 567 people who’ve been accepted by him as “friends” and have access to whatever he posts. They know what his status is: “being lazy for a few days in Mississippi,” he told me he wrote.

I’m not one of his “friends” so unless he tells me in person or on the phone, I don’t know what his “status” is.

I have seriously considered asking some of the young people in this office (who are his Facebook friends) to get a message to him.

“Your mom said to call her,” I’d ask Madison to write to him. (“Facebooking” actually has a verb form, as in “Madison could Facebook Thomas for me.”)

Why can I not embrace this Facebook culture?

It’s too much to keep up with. If I became his “friend” does that mean that I’ve got to be friends with all 567 of his friends?

I neglect the friends I have now.

Colby in Michigan has written me a long letter to which I haven’t responded.

Jonathan and Rachel are getting married this weekend and I haven’t bought a gift for them.

It’s been ages since I had a good long phone conversation with my friend Helen.

Susan and I manage to have lunch together a few times during the year, but it’s not enough.

My friends at work are always cooking and bringing in good things to share. So far all I’ve done is offer slices of a bought cheesecake.

You see my dilemma.

How could I possibly take on more Facebook friends?

I’ll stick with the face-to-face kind and try to be a better friend to them.