My "Good morning, how 'ya doing today!?" came in the form of an e-mail with the above photo attached. One of my longest "Blog Associates" Spock Girl who writes the blog Spockgirl Musings had sent this along over night to K-Sue and I with a wonderful little note. I certainly wasn't expecting that...yet, it didn't surprise me really because I get the sense that SG (as I always refer to her) is the kind of person who has that kind of heart and spirit.
Friends, acquaintances, associates, fellow bloggers, etc...whatever you want to call them are the subject of my thoughts this morning. Meeting people on the Internet has always been a rather shaky prospect as far as I'm concerned. I never really liked doing it...it left me feeling vulnerable and at risk.
For a short period of time after my divorce I subscribed to eHarmony, an online dating service. Ironically I never really met a "Soul Mate" as they promise but i made two very close friends that are still friends to this day even though that was 5-6 years ago...
I think that experience with all the safe guards, security checks and double checks allowed me to feel a bit more comfortable on the Net. I think it helped me realize I could share stuff like on a blog and it would be OK. I am very grateful it worked out that way because it (blogging here on Shell Shock Serenade) has been a real positive benefit to me in several important ways. If I had been too fearful of the Internet and out of ignorance had not trust for it I would have missed out on one of the most rewarding aspects of my life today...
I mention relationships often in my blog posts, especially lately because one of the most noticeable changes that has taken place in me to do my recovery has been that I am no longer an isolated entity, a lone wolf wallowing in pain and sorrow all the time. I've embraced relationships with others as one of the subtle delicacies of life and living. They mean so much more to me then I ever would have thought...
And getting to know people like SG via their blogs quite frankly is an art form because you are often gathering knowledge through artistic means: Photos, essay's, little smatterings of thought & feeling...yet if you are "in tune" with it, it is remarkable how much you learn about people just by what they post. This by no means is the same kind of friendship or relationship people build in person but it has a unique quality all it's own, one that I have come to embrace.
This does not mean there aren't dangers inherent in meeting people on the Net...I have never been in a chat room...I find the whole notion of them distasteful. Not sure why but I do. I have always been rather cautious when giving personal email or the like, phone #'s Etc. And so far that caution has been rewarded with a group of friends from the blog that have been really great.
So this is definately one area in life where I was wrong initially in my feelings and reaction though due diligence is still a must. But the very nature of my blog is as personal as one can be so if I am to continue writing it (and I have NO plans what so ever to stop any time soon) I have to feel compelled and comfortable enough to do so. And so far I do, primarily because of that handful of "regular" readers and commenter's who regularly read and respond. They motivate me to continue and I see no reason not to do so...
So I will end this morning's little ditty by reiterating my gratitude to Spock girl for her thoughtful email. What a wonderful way to start the day, with a boost of faith in the Human race...
