One of the more interesting aspects of being involved with social media is the game of Last Word in which some folks engage.

I prefer to steer away from these games, but I do enjoy watching others try to get the last word on some adversary.

I use Facebook, for example, as a platform to distribute this blog. I put my musings from High Plains Blogger out there. Some of my Facebook friends are good enough to share them with their friends. I would appreciate it deeply if more of my hundreds of friends would do so … but that’s another story for another time.

It’s the Last Word game that intrigues me. Some of my friends offer comments on my blog posts, which bring out responses from other of my friends. Back and forth they go. Sometimes into the wee hours. Or perhaps even into the next day — or two!

I once knew a lovely gentleman in Amarillo who was the grand master of the friendly put-down. Eddie Melin was his name. He died a couple of years ago at the age of 102. He is a legendary figure in Amarillo who had friends throughout the Texas Panhandle; hell, he had friends across the country who adored him.

I used to call him “Last Word” Melin, because no one ever got the last word on Eddie if they were foolish enough to engage him in a game of put-downs.

I saw him only a few weeks before his death and he was as sharp as ever.

I don’t know if Eddie Melin was involved with Facebook or other social media, but I can declare with absolute certainty that he would have been the hands-down winner of any Last Word Game.

These games that my Facebook friends play with each other have this way of turning into a war of attrition. Someone usually must surrender to the other person.

I just hope they don’t fall into too deep of a funk if they do.