Speaking of Imaginary Friends
My friend Stacie surprised me this week by visiting Denver. She had a conference here and was so packed full, she didn’t think she would have time to see me, so she didn’t mention it. But then, she was able to skip a session and have dinner with the fam on Thursday night! Whheeeeeee!
This is my friend Stacie who is part of an online mommy group that I have been friends with since I was pregnant and finally met up with in person last April in Chicago. This is Stacie who was supposed to come see the Police with me but couldn’t because of a family emergency. This is Stacie who is so much like me it’s scary.
And, hooray! Stacie finally got to meet Bryan and Declan and vice versa. And Stacie’s husband (also named Brian) and my Bryan both call the pals we have made on the internet our “imaginary friends.” Because sometimes they cannot grasp the depth of connection one is able to find through words on a message board and via email.
But seeing Stacie again proves how real it really is. As she put it, we’re like a couple of old shoes. From the minute I picked her up to the minute I dropped her off, we chatted like we’d known each other our whole lives. (Although when you think about it, we *have* known each other for nearly 6 years now. Damn!)
So, yes. It can be weird to find friends through the internet. But most days I sit back and thank my lucky stars. Because there are so many of you, in so many different parts of the country – in different parts of the world – who I never would have known had Al Gore not invented the internet.
You are all very, very, very real to me.
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I’m real! Woot!
Finally I created an account to say – we the imaginary friends love you too!
It’s so true! Sometimes I feel silly considering so many people I’ve never met my friends. However, I really thanks my lucky stars (and Al Gore while I’m at it) for blogging friends.
I love the idea of our internet friends as being “imaginary” – beause I like the imagination so much, and not because I want you not to be real, you know? 😉
I’m actually not real. I’m in the matrix.
So true! I love my “imaginary friends!”
And this imaginary friend can’t wait to ‘meet’ you next week!
No kidding Gretchen!!!
Awww… you’re very real to me, too!
Whenever I mention one of my internet friends to my husband he just rolls his eyes.
When I am crying at the computer wanting to help Why Mommy my kids think I am mad.
My girls call them my pretend friends. Apparently you are all 45 year old pedophiles, at least I know I have trained them well!
iieibQ Your blog is great. Articles is interesting!