Wednesday, July 3, 2013

IWSG - Are We Friends

IWSG is brought to us by our local blogging friend Alex. Its a month meme that brings us insecure folks together and gives us a chance to let our freak flags fly and air out the smells of insecurity.

My insecurity I want to talk about this month is...

Are we friends?

That is the question I’m asking you. (The only blogger I don't worry about is Jackie. She's a part of both worlds!)

I follow tons of blogs I read weekly and maybe half of those I read daily. And a few dozen, I mention daily and a couple dozen I call friends.
Let’s see if I can explain this as fluently as possible… I try not to throw the term “friends” around lightly in my everyday life (I have my reasons) but in the blogging world it seems kind of “weird” to use the term friends to those who do not blog. Just like talking to non-writers about writing.

But I DO consider you friends. There I said.

And those outside of the blogging biosphere think I’m crazy calling for you friends. “Oh, you mean your virtual blogging folks?” *pursed face*

See, to them, you guys are SIMS characters or something similar. Like, I turn my computer on, play with you, turn my computer off, and it ends there. But it doesn’t. I take what I’ve read and think about it/you throughout my day(s).

     In a convo about movies I say, “My friend Suzi saw that! She said it was really good!”

     When talking about Juicing with a couple I know. They said they threw away their left over pulp. I shared with them what they could do with it from Mark's and Jackie's posts. “Oh my friend has this great page for this type of stuff!”

     I will share a funny post from Mina or a funny convo from Facebook we had.

     “Oh my gosh! My friend Jaybird posted the funniest thing about being at the store and…”

     “Sheena-kay likes skirts over… and she lives in Jamaica so she knows all about hot weather and clothes, I'm sure.”

     “DL is your age mom and he…”

     “Lexa doesn’t wear dresses anymore cause she used to work…”

     “Laura is so lucky, she is going on holiday to Spain and…” (My mistake was using the word holiday. I used it cause that's the word Laura used. Here we say vacation. But where I work, I'm used to talking to our sister-company in Ireland and they say holiday all the time. So for me it's not a big deal.)

     “Morgan totally agrees and anyone who calls me cool knows…” (I've only used this line once and it was to win my arguement against the Hubby.)

     “Bushman says to grow tomatoes in their own greenhouse you need too…”

I can’t help it, you guys just come up in my conversations. You are more a part of my everyday life then most of the people I hang out with. I “see” you more – almost every day.

But most conversations tend to lead to:

"Her/his name is Jaybird/Bushman?" *sigh*

"How do you know someone in Jamaica/Egypt/Germany/England/Hawaii/Australia?" *sigh*

"You know someone married to a Gold Medalist?!" *sigh*

"Wow, so you know someone who has a book out there?" *sigh*

And my answer usually begins, "Well technically I don't KNOW them, know them..." My point here is, they missed the info I was giving them and concentrated on the silly stuff.

And I know even more about you than I do people I work with or hang out with. Not necessarily linked to the people above…
  • I know that someone’s son shares his name with a president.
  • Someone’s son is on a trip in another country.
  • Another has three daughters all starting with F’s and wants a pant-less summer.
  • Another has 4 “ankle biters”.
  • Some don’t want kids. Some do but it hasn’t happened yet. Some can’t.
  • He has two dogs, chickens, a duck, and endless amount of yard work but also works 10hr days.
  • She lives in Germany but would love to move back to the states and start a ranch!
  • He takes care of his loving wife and still has enough time for his blogging community and his wife loves to help him.
  • Even dragon’s, who are tough as nails, get sick and need a community to lean on. 
The list can go on and on.

So my question is: Are we friends? Should I be insecure about calling you friends like I’m insecure about my writing? Or should I just ignore my “non-virtual”friends and family critics and continue calling you my friends?

So what I'm really asking is, do I need a life; cause I really feel like I have one. I just like to talk about you.


************************************************************************************What's Up Wednesday is hosted by the lovely Erin and Jaime.

What I'm Reading
Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller. It was gifted to me by my soultwin Jackie!

What I'm Writing
This blog post currently... nothing else at the moment *sad face*

What Else I've Been Up To
Started with my Personal Trainer yesterday... I want to die today.

What Inspires Me Right Now
Still anything outside and in the sun. Besides that - you guys.

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday!

27 comments:

  1. I do the same-- talk about my blogging friends in my real life. And yes, we are friends!

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  2. It sometimes feels weird for me to use that word friend too, but I think I'm getting better about not adding that qualifier, well I haven't met them yet, but...

    What really feels funny is this. In a few weeks I get to go on a writer's retreat yay!). Yeah, so I'm going to stay at this secluded house in this little town with a bunch of people (okay-women) I've never technically met. Sounds a little crazy, but considering I talk to some of them (email/FB/blogs) at least every few days, it's not.

    Anyways, I'll quit my blabbering, except for one last thing. It hasn't happened yet, but if anyone asks me what the best zombie books/movies are, I'll have to say, I don't know, but let me go ask my friend Dani. :)

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  3. FOTFLMAO! Holy Cats! I do the same thing as you do. My virtual/cyber friends are one category and my flesh and bone family/friends are another.

    "Hey, you should see these photos of Charity's new house," I tell the hubby. "And look at where Marcy went on vacation this year."

    His reply? "Um. Who is Charity and why should I care where Marcy went on vacation?"
    *still laughing*
    CD Coffelt ponders at Spirit Called
    And critiques at UnicornBell

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  4. Oh my gosh-never ever doubt Dani, WE ARE FRIENDS!!! My friends that follow my blog know SO much more about me than my friends in "real life"- because I share so much more of myself here. My doubts, my fears, my insecurities. And LOL you remembered what I said about having a pants-less summer!!

    The Husband teases me all the time about my "imaginary friends". But he wasn't laughing when he saw what some of my imaginary friends sent me this past year. I first received a book from Jaycee with my name mentioned in the acknowledgements- then I received a bookmark, book and chocolate truffles for my girls from Ilima, I received three beautiful hand-sewn change purses for my girls from Kianwi- and I made him read the amazing inscription on the signed copy of a book from my friends over at A Beer For A Shower, he has stopped laughing. Finally, who I speak to on my blog has become real to him.

    I have made real connections with a lot of people on my blog- and I treasure them. Each and every one, especially YOU :)

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  5. I talk about my blogging buddies all the time. :) You know in high school when a girl gets a new boyfriend and she talks about him all the time? Like, "Oh my gosh, Bobby said the funniest thing!" Yeah, that's me with my blogging friends. :) My husband just smiles and nods.

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  6. I refer to you all as friends, it confuses my mum and sister quite a bit. I don't think it's weird at all that we haven't met, I still consider you all my friends :)

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  7. Good luck with the personal trainer. We joined the local YMCA and it only costs $80 a month for the entire family.

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  9. I call my blog buddies friends, too! Even if I haven't been around in a while, I definitely consider you, and everyone, to be my friends!

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  10. Friends. And I tend to talk about all of you too. Which sometimes scares me. But hey - you are real people. So why not? And I'd love to drink coffee or eat ice cream or both with all of you, if we could.

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  11. I think bloggers are friends. We share our news with each other, we share certain things in common and we take the time to "listen" or read what the other has to say, it works as friends to me :D

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  12. I would definitely call these people my friends. I've never met any of them and yet they're supportive as if they've known me forever. It doesn't get much better than that!

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  13. Friends for sure! This post is such a great tribute to the blogging community. I totally refer to things you all have said and taught me in my everyday conversations - and for those who don't get it...they're missing out. Great post.

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  14. If the 'friends' fits...

    Go for it. Some of my best friends I met online and have never actually conversed with outside of email, TrackChanges, and text.

    Great post! :)
    IWSG #118 until Alex culls the list again.

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  15. Yes! I've become closer friends to my blogging buddies and fellow writer/author than most of my real world friends. And quite a few of these have actually become real world friends. It's the quality, not the reality.

    ~ Alex's July IWSG minion, Nancy

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  16. I do the same thing. Eek! I can't believe you mentioned me and the weather, I feel so smart. *grins* People on the outside don't get how much blogger friends share with each other. But you do, I do and so do may other bloggers. Call me your friend all you like. Have to second Nancy Thompson as well. Great IWSG post today and I need to read Triangles.

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  17. I'd have almost no social life if I didn't have so many wonderful, kind, generous, and funny online pals. If that's considered "virtual" friendship, then so be it. You are definitely my friend! :-)

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  18. I would be a little hurt if you didn't consider me a friend...seriously! I'm proud to call you one!! :)

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  19. Very interesting thoughts, Danni. Hey, I think of all my blogger buddies as friends, and even though I know what you are saying about SIMS, as I am a fan of the game, we really are REAL! So, make sure your real life friends understand this!

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  20. Friends stand by you when you need it most and the bloggers I've made contact with over the years have done just that. So I'd say we're very lucky to have so many friends around this world. A short decade or so ago that wasn't possible. Here's to friendship.

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  21. Some of my friends here are more devoted than real-life friends. I used to think online friends were odd, but that was before I started blogging.
    Use the word friend.

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  22. I'm the same with all my blog buddies. I honestly feel like I've made better connections here than with most people I meet in the "real" world. Just because some people don't view that as normal doesn't mean it isn't!

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  23. I'm lucky in that my wife and I met through an online game, so she gets the whole 'online friends' thing. My only designation is terming you all 'blogging buddies', but that's just to differentiate from anyone I know in the flesh (like from work, or something)

    "It was on Dani's blog."

    "Which one is Dani?"

    "Zombiefingers"

    "Oh, o.k"

    Since I moved down to Florida, I don't have any flesh and blood 'friends' to speak of, which is why I'm so thankful for my 'blogging buddies' of which you are, most certainly, one of, Dani! :)

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  24. This post made me smile. And yes, we are friends. :)
    BTW I'm with Mark. Love the Zombie Fingers too. :)

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  25. I make a distinction between "my online friends" and my "offline friends". All are still friends.

    ......dhole

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  26. I think there are all kinds of friends, Dani so I don't mind if I'm a blogging friend, or an online friend, or an author friend. Friends are special and sometimes kindred spirits. I think we love finding out about your life and your interests, and whatever else you choose to share. Hope you have a lovely weekend.

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  27. Beautiful post. I have to say that I've struggled about how to describe you folks when I talk about you. I haven't gotten to the point of saying "my friend", but I have said, "someone I know..." Maybe I'll take that step and just say it, "My friends say the wisest things sometimes!" Writer’s Mark

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I heart me some good comments... and pumpkin spice latte's too!