Last week, I held a real time online conversation with a long time, dear online friend about the varieties of Hydrangeas that he was hoping to plant in his garden. I was sitting here, at my desk in Autumn Cottage…he was on a bus, in downtown Minneapolis, on his way home from work.
This morning, I log in to see another friend posting beauteous, magical images of her walk in the Australian bush; she is currently visiting Uluru as part of her month in HER beloved country, recharging the deep well of her soul and showing us all such simple ways in which we can do the same. I'm able to keep company (and send support/ hilarious jokes ) with a good woman who is posting from her hospital bed after undergoing heart surgery. I can send a message of care and concern to someone else who is still reeling from the challenge of a breast cancer diagnosis. A few years ago, I was able to speak with a wonderful woman up until hours before her death - and recently I followed and shared the excitement of a 'soon-to-be grandma' as she travelled across states and gave a minute by minute account (in real time!) of becoming one.
I can speak to members of my own far flung family, one of whom is currently keeping me informed from on the ground about the real and deteriorating situation in Hong Kong, while another shares exuberant pictures of themselves in the middle of a traditional Turkish wedding folk dance. I have reconnected with other family members after years of 'radio silence' - we are regularly in touch, and my heart has healed a little bit as a result.
Yes - I am spending 'A Month in the Country' in this little old timber framed cottage in North Hampshire…but my ears and eyes delight in the interchange of images, words and FRIENDSHIPS that I have made all over the world, thanks to this contentious medium of Facebook and the Internet, which can be used for so much good as well as for that which is negative. These friendships keep my hope alive that the goodness of ordinary, decent people WILL rise to the surface in the end. They all make my life so very much richer…how about you?
Journal Prompt. Do you think that 'Internet friendships' can be real, true friendships? Which of your 'Friendships of the Airwaves' do you value the most? Why? Where on the Internet did YOU go TODAY?
Many people have said to me “ I work on the computer all day at work I don’t want to come home and be on the computer. “. I would tell them that I felt like it was my mailbox full of my friends coming to see me or talk to me send me a note just to say hi. After reading your article about rejuvenating your soul I can tell this is exactly what my soul needs right now is rejuvenation. Being in a funk is not fun I’m trying to get out of it is not easy.
Posted by: Terri | Tuesday, August 06, 2019 at 12:04
I so agree with Terri - the email and FB posts seem almost as good as a letter in the mailbox. And there have been some delightful times when I've gotten to meet some of them in person - i.e. Roz, Britt-Arnhild, Darla, etc. And I also enjoy reading about how everyday life is in other places - places that I probably would never have an occasion to know about otherwise. Thanks you, Roz, for all these years of friendship and joy.
Posted by: Ardi Butler | Tuesday, August 06, 2019 at 13:48