See-this is what heppens when I'm unsupervised!

I find myself lately thinking about how well you can every truly know anyone. This might seem like a pessimistic, maudlin topic, but I think it’s a question that needs to be answered, but unfortunately never will be!

I feel very fortunate that I have “met” some wonderful people lately, and most of them on Twitter. I have thoroughly enjoyed talking to them, and listening to them, about regular everyday life stuff. I have seen people make incredible bonds, some have even fallen in love with people with whom their first contact was via Twitter (you know who you are!). These relationships are an incredible thing to bear witness to.

I have found myself part of a community that works together so well towards common goals. For example, my profile picture right now is my smile, cropped to show just that. Not the rest of me. This is something that many of the people I am aware of on Twitter are doing today, in honour of @SmileForMykah (I will continue to write about people in this way, as is habit after spending so long tweeting them!). It does make you feel like you are a part of something bigger than yourself; a feeling which I am growing to enjoy, even crave.

BUT (isn’t there always a “but”?!) given my eternally pessimistic attitude, and ability to second-guess myself, I find myself wondering; are these people my friends? Or merely people who (like myself) spend what is probably a little too much time online, and not enough in the “real world”?

DISCLAIMER! I don’t say these things to offend! How people chose to spend their time is their own business! I’m as much of a twitter addict as the next ‘gal! So please, if you are someone who I know on Twitter, or just like to hang around there and chat to people, please don’t take offence at my comments! Read to the end before passing any kind of judgement!

In asking myself this question, and especially in light of the media frenzy which surrounds the use of any social networking sites (which are as fickle as I am! One day we love it, the next we hate it!), I’ve gone back and forth between chatting to people a whole hell of a lot, to not going online for days to keep my distance. What have I learned? Nothing! I still don’t know if the people are who and what they claim to be, and I may never know. But I have realised that I don’t care!

The sense of community I feel when I’m online is one I don’t think I’ve ever felt, and I feel truly privileged to have met some special folks. I feel like name-checking them right now, ‘cos they really do brighten my day! I don’t want to embarrass anyone, so I won’t...unless y’all really want me to?!

Now, my tea’s gone cold, so I’m off to put the kettle on!

COMING SOON: why y’all should be getting ready for Venice The Series!

Xoxo