In fact, I have many blogs to add to my list. I don't want to take the list down because it's my own reminder to check in on my new friends. From their blogs, I go to others and then forget to add the "others" to my list. IF you happen to be reading my ramblings and you are blogging, too, please shoot me a message.
Like my list of VIP's from my surgery recollection entry, the blog list is mostly exclusive. (Exclusive as in, more people are excluded and I need to fix that!) It needs to be adjusted. And my brain, for this moment, is disorganized. I'm working very hard on reorganization. It's like a Chapter 11 thing when some big company files for bankruptcy.
The point? Read the title again. How is it possible that social media can forge such a connection among people, many of whom will never meet in the "brick & mortar" world? I don't know the answer to that, but my first step into online support was in 2002. I believe that likely makes me a "pioneer" as I am still in contact with a core group of women who have seen me through not only breast cancer, but some of the darkest days of my life. For almost ten years. And, we are still all together. And, mostly, we've never met or even spoken on the phone. We were together long before Skype or Google+ or OMG, Facebook. And we still communicate via a keyboard. And they have been my lifeline.
Is it possible to "love" people who have come to into your life through a computer screen? I would have to say the answer is absolutely, yes. No facade exists when the communication relies on putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). You simply have to be real or it's a waste of time. And, in that spirit, I want to devote today's entry, to whomever may be reading it, to my my very first "twitter friend" as she embarks on the next stage of her journey toward The Next Chapter. Reclaiming her body and moving forward.
This is for you, Chemo_Babe, for embracing me into your world with open arms. I've been thinking about you all week and most especially, today. I hope to see update tweets from someone. I wish you a speedy recovery!
With Love,
AnneMarie
PS to Marie: I'm working on the patent ;)
PS to Marie: I'm working on the patent ;)
I can say that some of my most loving friendships have began online. So many people dont understand that.
ReplyDeleteAt one point in my life 20 plus years ago..my son came out.
Some of these people are my dearest friends to this day.
Some I have met in "real" life ,,,others just online.
But we have been thru our children's problems together...births and deaths...All of life, good and bad.
The same thing happened about 13 years ago, when my young daughter who had never even went on a date got pregnant.
I started a group on Yahoo called "Young Grandma's. We are all still the best of friends tho the yahoo group no longer exists.
So yes...I understand the love we feel for online friends.
Hugs
Debbi
I love that you are still the best of friends even without the group. And, sometimes it's easier to communicate like this. It trains us to be better listeners. After all, if we don't truly "listen" to what is being written, we can't grasp the feelings of our online friends. Most of us are busy formulating our answer before we have even heard what someone so desperately wants to say....
ReplyDeletexoxox