"Those people of yours..."

[windinthemaples]

My father has never, ever used a computer. Someone recently bought him his first, a laptop, and I spent some time getting it all set up and wi-fi'd. He still hasn't turned it on--even with the lure of weekly photos of his grandchildren and letters when he's feeling lonely. I honestly doubt he ever will. In fact, my brother and I seem to be the first generation of computer users in our family...and my brother only uses an email for work or the occasional electronic greeting card. My aunts and uncles might have an email address or two, but there is no real use of the internet (or even Solitaire!) among them.

Dad and I were talking yesterday about SpiralScouts and my visit to see Rhiannon in North Carolina, and the phrase "going to meet those people of yours" came out. He likes to distinguish computer people from, you know, real people. The same guy who wants to send to Mumbai, sight unseen, for a subservient, grateful, Bollywood beautiful 20-something year old mail order bride thinks meeting people, making friends, through the internet is absurd and shallow.

Interesting viewpoint.

I get the vital difference between knowing someone online and off. It is easier to live behind social masks online, where you can be absolutely anyone you want to be. I strive to bridge the gap, to travel and meet those I feel the most kinship with, to expand my circle of friendship outwards through the internet and not shrink it down because I'm spending time on the internet. Their number, "those people" of mine, none too shabby, include both my husbands, neva_butterfly, rubymulligan, deadskream, ilea, mermaiden, willow_cabin, wanderlustlover, sakai_yukari, and mrsbrewer.

All would have been near impossible to meet had I left it to chance grocery-store encounters.

Thanks, internet...for bringing "those people" and many more into my life. :D

Comments

[mermaiden.livejournal.com]

*so much love*~ <3

I get that alot, too, from my older familial relations. You're going to meet with "those people" again? Why yes! ;D I found my soulmate on the internet, and the people from my soulgroup...I rather think it's good for something, thankyouverymuch. XD

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

Amen, sister! :D

[aerialmelodies.livejournal.com]

My family is a bit more open, though not always. Actually, when I went to visit Sarah and Jenn, I was asked how I knew them. I said the internet, which was followed by a "come again?" I just responded with "Friends I've known since college." Technically, it was still the truth! After I returned I was able to reexplain that yes, I visited people I'd only known for oh say SEVEN YEARS on the internet. I think that's long enough to know that Sarah and Jenn weren't going to rob me blind and steal my kidney. ;)

Really though, the internet is such a wonderful tool! There are weirdos and creeps out there, but I've made some amazing connections with people. I've even connected with people right here in Atlanta that I didn't even know lived here at first. It's such a beautiful thing, and there's nothing wrong with it. Heck, met Ryan on the internet, and he's not all that bad, right? :D

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there are weirdos and creeps everywhere and I think the internet provides a safe way to sort them, get to know about personal things like politics and religion and tea preferences before you agree to the blind date in a public place. :)

It will be an interesting generational difference--before and after the internet. I'd say almost everyone I know met (or got to know their significant other better) via the intertubes. :)

God, imagine all the chance and guesswork that was involved back in ye olden times when you had to choose from the few available people in your village at your job or classroom. Slim pickings! No way to sort by interests or lifestyle. Just pure social chaos. ;)

[aerialmelodies.livejournal.com]

LOL - so very true! I was also thinking that they conversed via "email" as well. All too often, men went off to battle and left the ladies behind. In light of the situation, lots of letters and postcards went back and forth - olden day emails. ;D

It's funny you mention the generation gap! My grandmother is VERY open too the internet and is fascinated by couchsurfing (though she worries about me picking the wrong couch to surf one day). Her good friend also uses the internet and has found not one but two European boyfriends. Well, I think she met the second one on a cruise, but the keep in touch daily via email and book flights and sorts of fun things only the internet can provide for. They are rare, though! My grandfather doesn't like the computer at all and only wants handwritten notes. I try, but I grew up on technology and love typing long letters instead of "ow my hand cramped so this is a short letter". XD

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

I think that's great that you have family on the internet. I wish I could keep in touch that way, too!

[rubymulligan.livejournal.com]

I love being your creepy internet girlfriend! Can I get a holla? (It seems I've been asking for a lot of hollas lately... Hrm.)

Yes, thank you, Internets. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have any friends, not to mention uber-bestest friends evar. <3

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

Holla!

You need to work on your "creepy", though. It just isn't coming through. :D

[rubymulligan.livejournal.com]

Damn. Should I upload the picture me wearing the hair extension I made for myself out of hair I collected out of your shower drain? Maybe that would do the trick? ;)

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

Doh! You've got to go for the hairbrush. Shower drain hair is all grey and soapy looking. Not good.
:D

[neva-butterfly.livejournal.com]

You can meet really scary people not on-line too--common sense always applies, but if your interests are more than Nascar and beer sometimes you have to go to the internet to find many like-minded people. I say nascar and beer because Sean's brother Brad always is instant friends with his neighbors and it seems he just moves in and says "You like Nascar and beer?" and they say "Yep. You?" and suddenly they're hanging out every night. It's harder if your interests are vegan junk food, rescuing cats, and ecletic paganism.

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

Neva! You've the missing person on my list. :D It has been nagging me, wondering who I'd left out.

But yeah, being such a minority of a minority, it is thrilling to get to go to the internet and realize that I'm not, actually, alone. In my regular life, I rarely meet vegan pagan moms. Like, ever. :)