Facebook wasn't the first social networking site but nonetheless has become a formidable beast in the virtual world. Classmates.com - eat your heart out. Although I spend a lot of time updating my status, posting links, playing games, and lurking around other peoples pages, I have no desire to see the movie about the immaculate conception of the site. I'd rather live in perpetual wonderment and gratitude for the friends it has brought me back together with. Not to mention there probably aren't aliens or explosions in the movie and for me that just isn't much fun at all.
Last week I met up with my best friend from elementary school who I haven't seen in over 16 years. Although we drifted apart for a while and our lives went in their own respective directions, I still felt as comfortable as if we had never lost touch. Friendships like these are few and far between. I can count on one hand how many friends I have who I share a true mutual bond with. I wish we all lived closer to each other but thanks to a computer and an internet connection (and eventually a webcam), we're all much closer than we were before.
The virtual arena is also teeming with new and interesting life to discover. Playful banter is in abundance on any given day and moral support is readily available when needed. Some use it as an avenue for venting when there isn't anyone around to vent to. All you need is a cell phone and a data plan and you can instantly post about the idiot who cut you off or the jerk who just took your parking stall and we can all comiserate together.
By far the most interesting connection made in the virtual world is the love connection. Some scoff at the idea of being able to connect with someone on such a deep level without actually being in the person's presence yet I've personally witnessed this process go from status flirting to walking down the aisle. It's bewildering and refreshing at the same time and offers the jaded spectator an ounce of hope they'll probably never admit to.
I've also heard it said the more connected we get, the lonlier we are. I agree that there is something unique and irreplaceable about human contact however I think words are also a powerful connector in the grand scheme of relationships. We can talk to each other without interference from the media-driven self-awareness that makes a lot of us doubt ourselves when in the physical presence of another person. We can't help it - we're visual creatures and what we see can trigger a vast array of emotions from attraction to amusement to repulsion. It's nice when those things don't get in the way of sharing a laugh. We can't all be supermodels but some of us say the darndest things. Having those things grace my day can brighten even the dreariest moments.
Time to go do some virtual hugging and kissing. xoxo
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