There we were standing on first street animatedly talking about "the glory days" of blogging. Jhames, Michelle and I discussed how we all found each other, the infamous de-linking incident, and other classic tales. Someone noted, "Back then, you pretty much knew everybody" and that's true. In the moment, I was thinking, blogging was much intimate then. But, the truth? Back then, it never occurred to me to leave my monitor and see these people in person and yet there we were, in Seattle, live and in the flesh, talking and laughing and hugging and sharing.
That's true intimacy.
I've seen Cecily 3 times in 3 different cities in 2008. In the past year, I feel like I don't go more than 60 days without hanging with George. I used to see a line between the online & offline parts of my life. No longer. I was reminded of this when I read the angry/frustrated response to Stowe Boyd's recent post about how much more connected he feels to the people he interacts with online than to some of his offline "best friends". I no longer debate this. The two types of relationships are decidedly different but, really, are just differently wonderful. Very little of my online experience can replace the connection I share with my family and friends whom I see physically much more often. But, just as those relationships are enhanced when they venture online (I know way more about what my sister thinks about the world and how she perceives herself via her facebook profile than I could ever get in conversation with her), my online relationships are greatly enriched by offline experiences.
So, it feels natural, obvious, really, that I would trek to the Northwest to spend a weekend with Michelle and B. That I would find time to connect with Rakka and Leff whose real names I didn't know until 3 days before arriving in Seattle? Normal. So what, we speak in flickr handles? I get the type of people they are. So, of course, within 30 minutes of meeting them, I'm hanging in their house watching Knight Rider and eating pizza. Why wouldn't I be?
So, whether travelling by foot, by ferry, or by monorail, no matter where I was when I was in Seattle, I was with My People.
The cool thing is that now that I'm back at home, whether I'm at my computer or on my phone, I'm still with them.
They are my Everyday People.