Nov
2
2007
2
2007
The Blogosphere
Filed under: Blogs
Photo credit: Flickr/Cultural Savage
In a recent conversation with friends, I used the term “blogosphere”…and I got some strange looks. I quickly realized that not everyone knows about this “secret world” that many of us live in. I assured them, jokingly, that it was indeed a real word because Wikipedia says so. It’s pretty common for people to associate Internet friendships with creepy/stalker-type situations…and while that can happen, the opposite is true most of the time. And yes, you can get TOO wrapped up in the online “alternative reality” and forget that there is a real life to be lived. But as long as you have balance in your life, blogs are such a great way to meet new people.
As we have traveled across the U.S…every single family/person we have met/stayed with has been one we first met in the blogosphere. We may have known about them in print…or maybe even what they looked like by photo, but we had never met them face to face. It’s always an interesting first encounter. The wonderful thing is…we have been so delighted 100% of the time with these new friends. And that’s the magical thing about blogging and the Internet in general. It has the amazing power to cut through all barriers. Race, religion, income levels…all of those things fall away as you look through the screen. You can find people with similar interests with the click of a mouse. You don’t need to pretend to be anyone you’re not (although some people do)…and there is no need for small talk. You just cut to the good stuff. Our tour is living proof that Internet friendships are REAL friendships!
I have been deeply changed by my online experiences. I have been inspired. I have been brought to tears. I have grown closer to Jesus. I have made life changes. I have new friends for life. I get excited to see what is happening their lives…what types of things they are learning from the Lord, what they did for their birthday…what their kids are up to. Sometimes it’s much more sobering…like how their chemotherapy is going. But at all times, I know I can go to my “secret world” and find encouragement and laughter.
And now…I want to ask YOU:
“How have you been changed by your online friendships?”
Posted by Sara @ 1:02 pm | Leave a Comment
Sara
Daughter of the Almighty. Wife. Mama. Sister. Friend. Traveler. Photographer. Designer. Tea drinker. Reader. Knowledge seeker. Google lover. Kitchen dweller. Dreamer. Leader. Homebirther. Breastfeeder. Homeschooler. Lover of life.
2
2007
I actually married a guy I met online! How is that for weird?!
2
2007
Wow, I was just having this conversation with someone earlier today. I feel like a dork sometimes, talking about people who I only know through their blogs I read…but I have found so many people online that inspire, encourage, and motivate me. I love peeking into the lives of others…seeing their homes (inspiration!), learning about new ways of doing things (blogging was where I was turned on to cloth diapering and babywearing!), and being encouraged by people’s faith, their challenging of the status quo, and their willing break away from mainstream culture. Truly, tuning into the blogging world has changed my life in many ways. Since discovering the blogging community, I almost never read a magazine or turn on the tv (the former source of most of my inspiration). I even find that I read more now, since I hear about great books from other bloggers. So yes, I completely agree with you! I can’t wait to meet you in the spring!
2
2007
It was through you Sara (when I met you at the
co-op) that I was introduced to Tara. Thank you so much for introducing me to a new and wonderful friend, this is especially meaningful to me since I’m new to this area.
To be perfectly honest I have been pretty apprehensive about the “blogsphere”, mainly I’m just a spectator, but it (the blogsphere) can and is proving to be a positive thing-especially I think for mothers who need encouragement.
2
2007
i also met my husband online.
although there are some people who have bad experiences online, i haven’t. some of the most beautiful people i have encountered have first been met via the internet.
2
2007
I met my husband online 7 years ago. I think that might be a popular response to your question though, because that definitely changes someone’s life.
Other online circles have given me the freedom to explore parts of myself that my “real life” friends weren’t interested in or didn’t understand. That has been really powerful and positive. Now I’ve been happily writing in my quilting blog for a year and a half, and not only do I think this is normal, but i know other people who do it, so when someone in real life said that quilting is a dying art I was so taken aback that I had to argue– No! it’s not! My experiences in the crafty blogosphere have given me the motivation to find, join, volunteer and get elected as president of my real life quilt guild. The best things I’ve found online (aside from my husband, of course) are inspiration, courage, and self confidence.
3
2007
How have you been changed by your online friendships?
Oh, wow. I don’t even know if I can list everything. My online friendships have led me to question things. I’m not a mom (yet), but I met mothers online who helped me explore alternatives to things like spanking and vaccinations. I met wonderful Orthodox Christian women who were ultimately very influential in my decision to follow God to the Orthodox Church. I got to know people who didn’t think I was crazy for owning as many pets as I do
Those same people were infinitely understanding and gracious when I lost a beloved pet, far more so than the people I knew in ‘real life’ (my family excluded). In short, I’ve found a wonderful, meaningful community thanks to the internet. If that makes me a cybergeek…so be it 
3
2007
I spend most of my online time on political blogs. I can’t say that I have made any close friends, but I have “met” lots of people I like, and I have learned a tremendous amount from some of my favorite bloggers or diarists. There are so many important issues that are hardly covered at all (or are covered very superficially) in traditional media.
Having become accustomed to the rough-and-tumble world of political blogs, I have been surprised by how some bloggers who write about non-political topics are more sensitive to disagreement. I get into “arguments” online practically every day, and I don’t take the sparring personally.
I’ve learned that at some non-political blogs, comments that come from a different perspective are not always welcomed. I do try to tone it down, but I also think that some of the most useful discussions are those in which viewpoints or assumptions are challenged.
Probably the strangest blog-related encounter I’ve had was a message from someone who has read diaries and comments I’ve posted at a political blog. He said he knew nothing about my age, career or aspirations, but it I ever wanted to work on a campaign and needed a reference, he’d be happy to provide one. I have neither the time nor the desire to do anything more than volunteer political work right now!
3
2007
Having felt like the odd duck all of my life, it has been quite a confidence boost to meet other women who are questioning the ways of the mainstream through small daily steps. Though they are scattered throughout the country, the mamas I have met through my blog have become friends for whom I pray, to whom I write, and with whom I share the details of daily life, with the realization that maybe I’m not quite as different as I thought. God created us to be in community; I am grateful that He has provided this way for me. I must be careful not to let my online community be a substitute, however, for those around me who are also opportunities for giving and sharing in the light of Christ.
3
2007
I’m mostly a lurker on blogs, although I do post on a couple of simple living-related bulletin boards. I live in a community where conformity is king, people drive huge SUVs and trucks even though they have no practical purpose for owning them, and those who wish to live simply wouldn’t be understood, if not pitied, by the majority of the people I know. Many days I look around me and think “I have absolutely nothing in common with these people.” So the friendships I’ve made through the online community serve to remind me that there are lots of people out there just like me, who want to enjoy every minute of life, live simply, love abundantly and try to preserve the incredible natural resources we have.
3
2007
yet another one: i met my husband online!
and many many great friends that i think our relationships will last a real long time (:
4
2007
Gosh, I have been inspired and encouraged so much. The major thing for me has been the eye-opening experience of reading and learning from so many homeschooling mothers. I quickly started to get more and more excited and thought to myself, “Wow! I’m not alone, and I can do this!” Thanks, God!
4
2007
I’m another one who met my husband online. The day you posted this was our fifth wedding anniversary.
4
2007
Everytime I open a blog page I am blessed, encouraged, stirred, or motivated. I have also had the pleasure to meet many people from my adventures in the blogosphere and am constantly amazed at how God has used these “strangers” in my life. They become friends before I ever hug their necks. I know their children, their husbands, and have pent time praying for them and holding them up before God as He works miracles. Its been a glorious experience. :o)
4
2007
I have learned to be more honest with not only my internet friends, but also with my “real world” friends, my family, and no matter how cliche it sounds, myself.
Thanks for asking such a good question.
5
2007
I have loved reading both of your sites and your travels across the country, but have never posted anything so here goes.
My husband and I are packing up our lives next April and moving to Syracuse, New York so my husband can go back to school for environmental work. I have contacted to many bloggers and folks from Syracuse and have met nothing but the most genuine, helpful and amazing people. Too often we take a “you’re in life on your own” approach but what I have realized is we are all not that different. We all want to help others, meet new people and have amazing, strong friendships. The blogsphere to me is just a giant coffeehouse where I can meet people just like me and people so different I can’t help but be changed.
Thank you for your contribution to the sphere!
5
2007
Your blog was a jumping-off point for the re-emergence of my attempts to live more lightly (after growing up in GREEN Oregon and moving to a place that didn’t even pick up my recycling…).
I’m watching the tour info closely to see if I can see you when you hit DC today or tomorrow!
5
2007
Heather…what a great analogy with the coffeehouse. I would LOVE to get all of my blogging friends together in one coffeehouse to chat all day long. What a riot! I’ve joked about having a big Walk Slowly/Live Lightly camping reunion somewhere. Kind of along the same lines. Thanks for sharing…
6
2007
Yes, I have very much been changed by my online friendships… especially one. I’ve never had a sister before and I met a woman online over 11 years ago who very MUCH has become my “sister” in every respect of the word. We have never met and yet only a 6 hours’ drive separate us. She’s busy with her life on the farm and I’m busy with mine here. But we talk on the phone, exchange little things between us (wedding invitations of our kids, swatches of fabric that we’re sewing something out of, pieces of yarn that we’re crocheting something out of), etc. etc. She’s the sister I never had… but now do.
What a great topic! Thanks for bringing this up.
~HomeKeeper
6
2007
oh man! very much so! i have met two bloggers… the two that inspired me to start my own. i also have found it to be a wonderful creative oulet for me, as a stay-at-home mom in a VERY rural area. and i DO truly feel like the bloggers in my little community are my friends.
great post!
6
2007
I have been so inspired and challenged by those I have met online. Its just the neatest experience.
6
2007
I found an old jr. high friend online. She lives in a different state so we keep track of each other through our blogs. It’s been great keeping in touch and finding that we still have a lot in common.
7
2007
It was so delightful to meet you. (And that’s not just because we got to eat some awesome Mexican food either!)
8
2007
good post and good question.
though being a blogger, i am gonna say….hey, yeah! it is a wonedrful way of expressing myself, and reading about other people and their thoughts. there is a connection of caring and listening and responding. good stuff.
10
2007
As someone who lives in a very rural area, the blogosphere and especially the Mothering Discussion Forums (MDC) have been such a lifeline for me since having my daughter 2 years ago. I don’t know anyone IRL who shares my parenting practices or religious/political sentiments, but I’ve met so many amazing women (for the most part) who remind me that I’m not alone. You are one of those people, Sara, so thanks!
15
2007
I have always called my online friends my “heart friends” because, as you said, we are connected by our hearts and minds and not our place in society or what we do or do not have. My online friends are as much a part of my life as the ones I see day to day. One of my best friendships IRL started online. We were friends for months on a homeschooling forum before we finally realized that we live in the same town!!!!!
29
2007
I have found a whole new world of people unlike the ones I know in my real life. My husband and I have joyfully discovered that we are not crazy and plenty of people think like we do…just not in our real life!
I have been inspired, have changed my parenting goals, and have given pause on a lot of things I never thought about before.
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