Musing about how one finds friends on the internet — or perhaps the wonder of that.
I did the A-to-Z blogathon a few years ago and met two women,
and through one met a whole group of people I feel are friends.
Real friends, not cyberfriends.
Through the other I found a way to network and found at least one real friend
— not cyberfriend — through her.
Another I saw he was an architect and asked for friendship on FB; That connection changed my life, and opened me up to friends everywhere. I participate in fun challenges due mostly to him, and when he died I grieved his friendship.
As I was having a beer coffee with a friend and discussing this, I realized
I can’t think how they differ from friends-one-met-in-the-flesh,
except that I’ve never shaken hands with them, and maybe never will.
I can’t just pop over to visit — some are in other countries.
They nourish my creative life in untold ways.
If they have a whole fake persona (unlikely, and brought up by my in-real-life friend)
they are wonderfully entertaining.
It can happen in real-life too, says someone who was married for over a decade
and he had an entire net of lovers on the side (not my Mitchell).
I care about them as if I’d met them in the flesh,
read their posts first as I might a friend I’d met over coffee.
I miss them when they are gone,
think about them when they are sick or hurting, and wish them well.
I am grateful for their presence in my life and yes, cherish them.
You know who you are.
I give thanks.
S
peaking of cherish, I will be participating and
helping out on the Cherished Blogfest this year end of July…
I hope you decide to tell/show us what you cherish!
(Image from last year — new one coming with info very soon….!
©D. Katie Powell. My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back to zenkatwrites. Art (unless stated) is also by me; please link to dkatiepowellart.
Thanks for this. It’s been a challenging year for me, but my friends and cyber-friends have made it easier. Thanks for all the color you bring to your friends.
❤
Katie, I love my cyber friends and wish I could meet many of them, including you. While I have awesome friends that I can see and touch and hug here in Wisconsin, the people I consider “friends” on WordPress and through other media, that I have never met, are also friends. It’s a different kind of bond, but one very supportive and engaging. If I ever win the lottery (that’s if I ever buy a ticket), I would make it a point to travel and see the people that I’ve connected with online. So, be ready…
Now, you have to pay to play and be present to win! I’d love it!
I have been blessed by the people I’ve met through blogging. For me, I have mostly met people through my blog and theirs and then moved onto Facebook friendships.
Yup. Sammy is to thank for our friendship!
Katie, like you I treasure my cyber friends. The world has been opened up to us – I love living the life we do – connected and inspired by so many.
And, as you found, cyber connections often grow into real life ones. I now exhibit regularly with an artist who lives near me in Brisbane having met through her blog.
Carol, anyone I know? Yes, what a gift this pile of bolts has been!
What a wonderful post! I feel the same, Kate…I have friends I care about a great deal that I will never meet in person, most likely. We have a lot in common, we agree on many things and disagree on a few, just like “in real life.” We enjoy spending time “together,” sharing our lives and loves. I look forward to hearing from them, celebrate their triumphs and mourn their losses. I DO treasure them, and thank you for sharing this.
You, especially, would know the value of those met through the internet!
I enjoy and value my cyber friends and know that they enrich my personal and artistic life. I love the long tendrils of my online creative community!
So do I, and the crossover in terms of creative ideas.
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