The Voices Inside My Computer

The internet plays a big part in my life, I met Dan way back when through our respective blogs (although back in the dark ages they were still called “online journals”), most of our family income in generated through our sites and connections we make online, and, as sad as it may seem to most people, pretty much 100% of my friends live online as well.

Yeah, I’m the crazy lady with friends that live inside the computer. There are a myriad of reasons for why I quite like it like this; It allows me to be a lazy friend, there’s no gatherings to attend, no phone calls that have to be made, I can pop up a note one day and say that I’m going to be focusing on other things for a couple of months, and when that’s over I’ll be welcomed back with open arms. I don’t have to make plans for lifts to places, work things out around naps or anything like that, if I need it, there’s usually someone for me to talk to hanging out on the other side of the keyboard.

But the number one reason I love the people that live inside my computer, is that they’re awesome women. They’re women that I’ve spoken to for four years, since we all fell pregnant together with our 2007 babies, people have come and gone, families have grown and break ups have happened. And through all this there’s a solid core of wonderful women who absolutely rock my world in every way imaginable.

This afternoon a parcel arrived on my doorstep. Inside were some toys for Declan and Connor (I now have Mr Potato Head’s facial features scattered across my hallway) and two boxes, one for Dan and one for myself.

Inside Dan’s box was a beautiful silver keyring with Robyn’s name and birthdate on it. Inside mine (which was polkadots, and we all know how much I love polkadots!) was the most beautiful handmade pendant and necklace A little locket with a winged heart on the front and Robyn written on the inside. These women have already done so much, supported me through everything, sent me flowers, cards and donations in Robyn’s name, and now to receive something like this, that they’ve put thought and time into choosing for me and for Dan, I’m just overwhelmed with how wonderful they are.

So this is my big f-you to all the naysayers that insist that online friends aren’t real. I’ve found my biggest support to be the people inside my computer, whether they’re from my March Mamas or complete strangers sharing their experiences online. Whether you’re sitting across a room for someone or sitting at your respective computers, it doesn’t make the emotion and the solidarity any less genuine, and I am blessed to have such a wonderful group of women at my side. When the women I went to college with and who I’ve commiserated on every break up, celebrated every new job or high test score over the last seven years, even keeping in touch with them when I’ve moved to the other side of the world. When they don’t send even the emptiest words of sympathy or regret, and yet when a collection of mothers, who by most people’s standards wouldn’t even be considered “real” friends can take time out of their life to think of me and my family, and to help us heal, I think it says a great deal about what is real and what isn’t.

This was meant to be a wonderful post celebrating how awesome my online mum’s group is, but this has been bubbling over inside me. It really is true what they say about events like this making you realise who your real friends are. I KNOW that they know what has happened, and the only thing I can hope, is that it’s not that they don’t care, it’s just that they don’t know what to say.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.