A Friend We Never See

[Au Naturel]

I met one internet friend in person a few weeks ago. I was camping by Joshua Tree National Park and he was staying at a nearby nudist resort so we arranged to meet and go on a nude hike together. Worked out pretty well. No drama, no stress. So far he's the only person I've met through the internet before meeting in person.

I believe I am a good judge of whether I'll get along with a person if I can read enough of their writing. We followed each other's blogs on WordPress for a couple of years and then were in email contact for a while. There are maybe 2 other people I know online that I'd like to meet in person but I doubt it will ever happen. The distance is too great and we don't travel enough to be in each other's areas.

For 99% of everyone I meet online, I'm happy to keep it that way.

 

[Tony Ramirez]

Where do you meet people online today. Facebook is a joke as I have a few friends from Church on there and all they recommended is guys I know already and more stinking couples many I know from Church which I'm sick off.

 

[Gift2humanity]

Yes, how it feels interacting rather than whether things are shared outside in real life is what matters. The feeling of connection.

It can actually be quite hard for everyone to physically meet up at the same time. Often it has to be a special occasion to make it happen. But in the virtual world, those we want to communicate with, share with, we can do so anytime we feel like it without having to ensure they will be available to be there and receive it.

Perhaps the internal emotions can be realer because the reality is we can spend far more time with a virtual friend than a physical one. We actually know them better having never met them.

Yes, social interaction can be good or bad online or off.

Yeah, things like special occasions bring offline people together.
Time zones might be a real-time restriction online, but if we are talking non real time interaction, then online is much easier for large groups of like minded people to get together.

I realised my emotions can be triggered online as well as off, I have felt a bit ganged up on when online expressing views that not many people share, but it is my response to this behaviour is up to me.

 

[SimonSays]

Where do you meet people online today. Facebook is a joke as I have a few friends from Church on there and all they recommended is guys I know already and more stinking couples many I know from Church which I'm sick off.

Sometimes when you feel there is a lack of something in your life, you focus on what is missing not realising that doing so helps to keep it missing. I hear it in the tone and the words you use.

So, how to meet people online becomes a big issue when in fact, if you were to stop trying to make something happen that you think isn't happening, you might realise that where you are right now has the potential to fulfil what you're looking for. Just don't expect it to. Perhaps focus on things you like and enjoy and share those, and out of that sharing something else might arise.

 

[Tony Ramirez]

Just now I went on Facebook more couples as friends recommendations and WYSIWYG on my homepage 9/10 recommend post was people I know from TGC again all couples.

 

[Gift2humanity]

Sometimes when you feel there is a lack of something in your life, you focus on what is missing not realising that doing so helps to keep it missing. I hear it in the tone and the words you use.

So, how to meet people online becomes a big issue when in fact, if you were to stop trying to make something happen that you think isn't happening, you might realise that where you are right now has the potential to fulfil what you're looking for. Just don't expect it to. Perhaps focus on things you like and enjoy and share those, and out of that sharing something else might arise.

As someone who has experienced despair and suicidal depression, and, in the not too distant past, has dwelt upon things I have not got, rather than those I have got, this post makes a lot of sense to me, I can relate to it.

 

[Gift2humanity]

Just now I went on Facebook more couples as friends recommendations and WYSIWYG on my homepage 9/10 recommend post was people I know from TGC again all couples.

When we home in on what we don't have, this is all we seem to see.
It's almost like reality is reflecting what we believe it to be, and these beliefs, when we are depressed con us into thinking the world sucks, there is nothing here for us, and we have nothing to offer it.

That's my experience anyway.

When we are not hankering after something, when we look at the good in us (every single person has it - even Hitler did-before he was corrupted) reality reflects that. Things seem much better.
It's our mindset that can fool us into thinking everything is poo when there are poo things and great things.

 

[clg114]

I like the sound of all that.

I got to do shooting for the first time in MN (we don't have access to guns like that in the UK). Great fun. Tried many, including Magnum 44 (too powerful) but I got to play with all my ex-father-in-law's collection. Loved it.

I'm glad that you liked shooting. Please keep in mind that a firearm is basically a instrument of death. So with that in mind, safety is of the utmost importance. Have fun and be careful.

 

[SimonSays]

I'm glad that you liked shooting. Please keep in mind that a firearm is basically a instrument of death. So with that in mind, safety is of the utmost importance. Have fun and be careful.

Lol. I don't live in the US anymore. No more guns for me. Ex father in law was a keen hunter and very safety conscious, showed me how to use each of them, then left me to it as he could see I had plenty of respect. Turns out I'm a pretty good shot. Always preferred the rifles to the pistols though, as I loved the accuracy, and the shotgun and clay disc shooting was the most fun. They lived on a farm so there was plenty of space. I would say the 22 rifle was my favourite though. Light enough to carry, easy to shoot. Those targets didn't stand a chance!