“No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth.” ~Robert Southey
It’s hard to believe it has been two years already since Dena, my consulting editor, suggested I start a blog. Quite unsure of what I should even write about, I started posting twice a week on Blogspot, and for the most part I wrote about things that happened throughout my day. No biggie. A comment here, two there, and weeks continued to pass, until, on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I wrote a post and decided to publish it on a local news site. Given the topic and my out-of-the-box views, the post was quickly assaulted, and my presence online was sealed from that day on.
Following that first post, I started visiting the site more frequently and, soon enough, blogging became a daily appointment. It wasn’t long before I began to export my blog to other sites as well; to date, I post daily to about fifteen sites.
What I thought would be only online friendships evolved into some real life connections as well, something that to this day still blows my mind. Two years ago I was the first person who used to harshly judge meeting people online on the basis that those connections were not safe. Conditioned by an external perception of how dangerous an e-life could be, I, like many others, assumed that mostly predators lurked around cyber realities.
How wrong I was! Many of the people I have met during the last two years are wholesome and kind, giving and compassionate, but mostly, they are people just like me, wading through the waters of life and happy to connect with kindred spirits. Some are serious, some are jokesters, some are happy and some others sad, but as a whole, they have provided a huge cushion of support I felt comfortable to fall upon on days that weren’t quite so brisk.
Whether we have met in person or only virtually, I feel a connection with those I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and talk to on a daily basis. Chatting online has become such a fun part of my morning routine that I miss it terribly when I have to focus on certain projects that require my full attention.
One of those projects is at the door, so I will hardly be online at all next week. Coffee won’t be the same, and as I sit alone working, I will be wondering what everyone is talking about; the silver lining is that I know everyone is still there, and will continue to be there when I get back. That simple knowledge makes me feel very good. So, thank you for that, and know that even if I won’t be talking to you for a few days, you are a very special part of my life.
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