Hope you all are having a happy new years eve. Obviously, I am having a lame new years eve as I am here blogging like a dork. Anyway, I need your help. My family thinks I am crazy and it is all your fault. I keep saying things like, "This lady I Internet know, in Canada(exchange England, Australia, Oklahoma, or Sweden for location), blah, blah, blah." Or, "I met this person from another tiny Texas town at Scarecrow Festival, but we have been talking (in comments) for months." What is worse, I had to explain to the spouse of the person I met at the street festival why a total stranger was hugging his wife and giving her a passion vine. Anyway, my nonblogging family thinks I have lost my crackers and you are all make believe invisible friends. We need a new name for our friendships. The all to lame, "this lady I know on the Internet," must be replaced with something more respectable, more real, and more awesome.
I came up with Internet friend and blogging buddy, but the offline humans still eye roll me. Well, even the cats eye roll me, but they are bred to be snotty.
Any suggestions?
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Happy New Year to you, blogging buddy! We're having a lame NYE too but we can blame it on Diva Dog. We're anxiously awaiting the midnight fireworks--DD turns into 75 lbs of quivering GSD. It is not pretty. As for the blogging friends, WN & I have noticed that our "real" friends are too timid to leave us comments on the blog--they email us instead. Only one has left us a commment as "anonymous". But all these complete strangers from all over the world leave us comments all the time. Go figure.
ReplyDelete--Curmudgeon
In the "old days" folks that made friends by writing each other were called Pen Pals.
ReplyDeleteCurmudgeon, My sisters do the same thing. I will begin to tell them something I have already blogged about, and they will say, "I know, I read your blog." I just keep thinking, well comment already. Manly Man reads it to find out what I am saying about him. Hope Diva handles the fireworks okay. Our GSD,Abby, thinks we are having a party just for her.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Debbi! I find the best thing is to just keep mentioning your online friends. My mother used to be totally freaked out, but after over ten years, and seeing that many people have been long time friends, who I actually get paper Christmas cards and occasionally parcels from, really are real people.
ReplyDeleteI thank fate every day that I have made the friends I've made, and seem to be continuing to make.
Happy 2009 Monkey Family and all who read them!
I know exactly what you mean. You'd think I was talking about my invisible friend if I tell my family about someone I know online! Maybe a solution to this problem will be found in 2009. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI get this all the time Deb from my non-blogging friends and family. However, I was cheered this Christmas because a friend had been reading my blog and bought me a Heuchera based on what she'd been reading. She also left a comment last month. So perhaps it does filter through to them after a spell, you just have to be persistent. I hope it doesn't take 10 years like FoxyMoron says.
ReplyDeleteHave a great 2009 my blogging buddy!
I tend to just refer to the whole internet as a single individual, i.e., "I asked the internet what was going on with the begonias, and they said it was mildew." It's a little stranger, but it's more efficient, because then I don't have to try to figure out how to give specific, non-overlapping names to each and every person I communicate with or explain how I know them, where they really are, etc.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that this really answers the question, but it's the best I can do. What's so terrible about having your family think you're crazy, anyway?
LOL. You just described me too. My NYE was lame as well. We did a little Wii bowling, watched Peanut's movie of choice which was Air Buddies, ate popcorn, and fell asleep at 10:00. What a great way to ring in the new year, huh?
ReplyDeleteAs far as what we can refer to each other I just tell my family Debbi from Texas (for example). I know that doesn't help much, but I'm sure brilliance will strike sooner or later....
I know exactly what you mean! At first I started saying "internet friend" but people seemed to discount those friendships in some way so now I refer to my non-internet friends as my "skin & bones" friends to put everyone on an equal playing field. What do you think about that?
ReplyDeleteVirtual Family.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Love Sarah, your virtual family member.
Hm, I'd suggest 'bluddies' as an amalgam of 'blogging buddies', but it sounds a bit rude...
ReplyDeleteI call you all my garden blogging buddies. My family teases me a bit about the obsession with the blog & blotanical. I just shrug it off, cause they have their passions too. :)
ReplyDeleteI think it's the online aspect that throws people; because they may equate stalkers or weird dating experiences with online friendships. So I propose "gardening friend in xxx." I'm lucky to have a lot of local gardening friends, but none of them ever comments on my blog. In fact, many gardeners I know IRL are not much into spending time online!!
ReplyDelete~ Monica
For me it depends on who I'm talking to. My family is internet savvy enough to understand. With other people I just call ya'll my friends and don't mention the internet at all!
ReplyDeleteAmy
Hee Hee, I know what you mean. My sweety was backing up our photos and couldn't believe how many photos I've taken lately. (for blogging). Hmmm how about keyboard cronies, laptop ladies (oh,nevermind that doesn't sound good) online amigas. Jill mentioned Pen Pals. That sounds pretty good!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Lorilee
I call them Internet Friends, too.
ReplyDeleteWe gather so much from contact with each other, and the contact of touching minds through text is not to be trivialized.
I love stopping by to visit with you and the 'monkeys' - I always leave with a smile, and that's why I come back.
*Raises a virtual glass of tea*
Cheers!
I usually call you all blogging friends. That seems to typify it pretty accurately.
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Hi Foxy, This is my first year blogging, so I am realatively new. The family will probably get used to it.
ReplyDeleteHi Dawn, maybe so.
VP, My husband has done thing he knew I would like because he read it on this blog. happy '09 to you as well.
Mr. S. I have done that as well, but that wouldn't explain Nola as all.
Cinj, that's a thought, first name and location that might work.
My Little family, sounds good.
Hi there Dear Sarah glad you checked in my little virtual niece.
ReplyDeleteAmanda, bluddies sounds slightly violent.
Racquel, I am hoping they all get used to it or start their own blogs and figure it out for themselves.
Monica, I have dozens of IRL garden friends. They read the blog but do not comment ever. Silly real gardeners.
Amy, Only teenage monkey does anything on the computer, and the contact he does have makes me nervous. Maybe I can sort of see their point. Still garden bloggers are the nicest bloggers.
Jill, somehow your comment slipped in between curmudgeons comment and my comment back to her. Didn't mean to leave you out. Pen pals would probably work, but then they would want to know where the letters are.
ReplyDeleteHi Lorilee, I like online amigas.
Hi Jen, I really do feel that these are real friendships. I really enjoy hearing about y'alls good times and feel actual concern for those who share thier troubles.
Hi Brenda, They actually accept you. When I say Brenda from east of here, they know what I'm talking about.
Debbi, like Racquel the Perennial Gardener, I call all of you my garden blogging friends. And all kidding aside--my family has been so supportive with my blogging. My boys do not read my blog (of course) but if I haven't blogged in several days my daughter in DC call and asks why! :) My husband tells me he loves to see that I am in here blogging. Could it be a cure for empty nest?? :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think it matters what we call ourselves. If you're not part of the community, you just don't get it. My friends think I'm crazy to go to Chicago to hang out with a bunch of "strangers"!
ReplyDeleteso a friend is a friend is a friend is a friend. If you wonder what to call them, and friend doesn't do it... than they are "someone I know at work, at church, on the internet..."
ReplyDeleteit is strange, but their are some I do consider friends.
stumbeled here from blotanical
peace
Linda, Glad to hear they are supportive. We do have the family blog I share with my sisters. If someone doesn't post on that every day, one sister gets annoyed.
ReplyDeleteMomo, have fun is Chicago.
Hi Wayne, thanks for stopping by.
Ha!!! This is priceless, Debbi! Many of the suggestions are good, but I especially love Mr. Subjunctive's aggregate solution. I just say "one of my blogging friends" and to hell with it. Like so many commentors, almost none of my real-life friends and family read my blog, unless of course I happen to be posting about them, in which case they'll invariably have decided to finally read it for the first time. There is NO justice. Thank heavens for faithful blog friends, even if they are out there floating somewhere in cyberspace! All of you are definitely what keep us going. And like so many commentors, we too had a peaceful at-home New Year's Eve, eating wonderful homemade food, trying to keep out of the cold, and watching---ironically enough!---"Twelve Monkeys"!!! In that spirit, a VERY happy 2009 to you, Manly Man, Monkets, Abby, cats, goldfish, and etc.!
ReplyDeleteThanks OFB, As much time as my family spends with their make believe games and toys, seems to me that real live internet peoples would be accepted. I think I need to start pointing out that at least y'all are real and not a a play station character. hahaha.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool conversation! You aren't just a blogger, you're an educator. And the political world is full of bloggers.
ReplyDeleteMost of the folks who don't understand my blogging secretly wish they were and had a blog of their own.
I call all my blogging friends--my buds. My buds is endearing and refers to everyone as a cherished plant in my garden.
You are..my bud in Texas. I also find that I have more to talk about than most during a social gathering. No matter the conversation....I've got a story to go with it. Makes us all smarter. And it's cheap too.
That is a great way to look at it Anna and you are definitely my Bud too. I think your tag is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't blog, but I love reading blogs when I have the time.
ReplyDeleteI often refer to something I've read on a blog and when I do I say I got the info from a garden blogger or homestead blogger, etc.
If I've become "email pals" with a blogger, then I say -- "I heard from a blogger friend the other day..." Some blogs are just for reading and gathering info, commenting back and forth, but sometimes we are blessed with a new friend who we truly get to know via email. At least that's how it's worked for.
v.
V, you are a prime example of what I'm talking about. You should have seen me trying to explain how excited I was about the seeds and the card. Manly Man looked at me like I had lost it. Again, thanks. Stay warm.
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