Touching

I remember a really long time ago when we first got AOL dialup. What an amazing new world our 14k modem conjured up.
Logging into my first ‘chat’ room I watched conversations scroll by in awe... so many people coming and going in and out of the ‘room’. I was mesmerized, and soon worked up the courage to type ‘Hello’. It was titillating when someone replied. I called out to my offline wife… hey! I am actually talking to someone!

The novelty of chat rooms wore off– and over the years the internet has taken its place in our lives. It has stealthily replaced things like the yellow pages and several old and worn Rand McNally’s. It’s settled into a comfortable spot in our family and our home.
The internet has become a tool and the computer a mere appliance – albeit one that lacks much of the finesse that we have come to expect from our other appliances. Have you ever had to reboot your refrigerator?

Several years later… I was introduced to blogging. Again, as I did with the chat room… I watched and read quietly for some time. I can’t really remember how I found all of you, a link here… a comment there, but I was quickly wrapped up in your lives, checking in often to see what you were up to.

It wasn’t long before I couldn’t help but to comment. I had something to say.
In fact I found I had so much to say – that I eventually started my own blog.
I wanted you all to come by, I wanted you all to get to know me – as I had been getting to know you.
I was …and am…thrilled to be part of this innovative new community.

But where it gets really exciting and I suppose a little freaky… is how we can walk into a room to sit over food and drink, striking up one conversation after another as if we have been neighbors for all of this time we have been virtually visiting each other.
We wrap our computer generated (((arms))) around each other daily … and I was thrilled to find that to do it in person was just as natural, yet more fulfilling.
We have forged a close bond in our cloistered world of text, but I fear that meeting you all has proven something to all of us.

We want more.

We want to meet for a cocktail next Friday, or maybe if you happen to drive by the house and see my hard working wife out in the yard – you can swing into the driveway and roll down the window for a quick chat. How about running into each other at the supermarket, or a quick wave at a stop light.

Alas this is not our reality…

I love the internet for bringing us together and yet... our physical distance tears at my heart.
I love you all. I am so glad I was able to touch you (stop it Syd).
And so… as we fall back into our comfortable online relationships know that I truly hope we can touch again.
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