Things would be different if I could get out more...
I don't think my online friends realize just how isolated I am in the small city I live in nor do they realize that very few people in Stevens Point have much in common with me. Naturally, I am a loner and am very indepedent and outspoken, but I tend to have an actual crowd to hang out with in more urban locations. My recent trip to Milwaukee fully indicated to some friends just how hard of a time I have travelling because I can't drive and this leads me to be stuck home. I also have no phone line of my own right now, so there goes telephone communication. I'm living in my brother's apartment (not the best place to be but what is family for?) and my only means of socializing in this town is to convince my brother to drive me somewhere, or I walk down the block to see a movie or treat myself at a restaurant where I'm usually surrounded by people much younger than me or rednecks. For now, the days of me hanging out at an all night diner, heading out to a club, and sitting at a coffee house are kinda behind me -- UNLESS I am back in Milwaukee where I know a larger group of pals. For the last three years, my main form of socialization and communication is blogging. I'M SERIOUS.
So when one of my close friends decides to unplug from the computer and delete her Mindsay blog, it's like she's telling me that she doesn't want to talk to me. To her, it's no big deal, especially since she has plenty of friends wherever she's at, but it's not that easy for me to unplug. Sure, I could limit my time online, yet I still have to log on as often as possible to catch up with people. This blog is my window to the world and not some silly thing I do on the computer to pass the time. If I don't hear from you HERE, I don't hear from you at all. Sure, we'll always have email... but I find my email accounts to be sterile places for creative chatting. And I like to get creative with the way I talk.
The next friend who tells me that they are quitting Mindsay or Myspace or whatever better realize that this is the easiest thing for me to do to keep in touch with them. If they don't care to hear from me as often as they could on Mindsay, then I'm forced to assume that they don't want to hear from me at all. If they're bored with Mindsay, then they could also be bored with talking to me. It's just that simple. You hear me, beeyotches? Mindsay is where I'm at and if you don't like it, you might not hear from me at all if you go elsewhere. That's how loyal I am to this site. It suits me. It's given me joy for nearly three years now and I'm not going anywhere -- so why should you?
Maybe the reason why I cease to be bored on here is because I'm a writer. I type as fast as I can think or talk. I can always think of something to say. It may not always be the funniest or most interesting thing, but it's my thing, you know? I just don't want any more of my off line friends to leave this site. I really do take it as a personal insult if you quit. It's like you're telling me you prefer not to be friends -- and if we can't be friends here, where else could we be?
