Friday night during our soiree, my nephew said, "Hey Aunt Kelly, I forgot to log you out of MSN and someone named Princess said to tell you hi."
A good 15 of the 50 people stopped talking to see what this was about. You see, I am the only Internet nerd type person I know. The people I hang around do the email thing, the eBay thing, the paying bills on line thing, and the shopping thing, but they don't do the "Internet People" thing.
I talk a bit about my Love/hate relationship with the net here, if you missed that post. I have met people from the Internet before. I've made some very good friends from the Internet.
People that I've known for a long time don't quite understand this, and in fact, do not like it at all. As I said in that love/hate post, I became really disenchanted with the net, and God, I probably haven't met any people from the net in 5 years.
My nephew saying this brought up the red flag to certain friends and family of mine.
""Who is that? Do you know this person? What's her name? Where does she live? Are you sure she's a girl? What if it's a guy and he's a rapist and a pedophile and a serial killer?"
It's Princess, no I don't' know her, umm Princess is her name? live? dunno. Pretty sure she's a girl. If she's a pedophile I have no worries, and if she's a serial killer and/or rapist I don't think she can do anything to me through my modem.
Sheesh.
""Well how did you start talking to her?""
Ok, this one gets a bit more complicated.
Weeeeeell I suppose because we both read Rance's Blog
"Who is Rance, do you know him? What is a blog? What if he is a rapist and a serial killer?"
Oh lord....
Rance is a person that writes a blog, which is an online type diary thing. I technically don't know if he's a serial killer or a rapist, but he says he's like a celebrity from Hollywood or something.
Roars of laughter fill the room.
So as you can tell this is going real well.
I assured them that all I did was "talk" to Princessr9 and "read" Rance's blog. I could still see they were nervous as in a "here we go again" type deal.
I'm extremely lucky to have so many people care about me and love me, but you would think they would realize that I'm umm what's the word? Oh yeah, not a fucking idiot.
Anytime I ever met anyone from the net it was when a big group of people got together from a chat room or message board. It would be like if there was a big blogger party. Oh, and I always, always, always took a great big man with me. Always. I've never done the "dating" thing or the "hooking up" thing. Ever.
They don't know about my blog. My best friend R does, and my nephew does, and that is about it. It's not that I write anything here that I haven't said or done, and it definitely wouldn't shock any of them. This is my space, with my "Internet People" as they call you all. Hey, that's a Pink Poppy statement I think. call you all...
In the meantime, I am sure I will hear about "Rance the Rapist" or "Princess the Pedophile/Serial Killer" every once in awhile, as my family and friends start worrying all over again about you damn "Internet People."
How about you? Does your family/friends understand the whole Internet thing, do they know about it, and what do they think?
And Princessr9, please don't be offended by this. It was actually kind of funny, and I was bound to be outed eventually.
*Side Notes*
Thanks again to Gus and Annie for filling in for me while I was keeping the original party people in line this weekend.
Gus has offered me either a cut of the blubber or a ship named after lil ole me. I think I'll take the ship, as long as the blubbery bastard doesn't destroy it.
7 comments:
In over ten years I have met only one person. She was driving north to see her children and I'd talked online to her for a few years. I spoke to my husband and even he, the biggest sceptic( I thought at the time) of people online agreed that it would be kind to let her stay here as this is about where she'd have to get a hotel.
We sat at the dining table and talked for hours but first the children, well, they were children at the time had to come say hello. She'd even "spoken" to them on occasion and now this lady in the messanger box was suddenly real.
After a few minutes, my son just looked at her and asked, "Are you an axe murderer?" She laughed softly and reassured him she wasn't and with one nod he stood up and went back upstairs to watch television. I was mortified and apologized profusely but thankfully she has children too and had an appreciation for my son's straightforwardness.. Anyway, next time your family starts, I guess know you aren't the only one out there with family that assumes the worst but just find humor in their caring.
http://orphicsoliloquy.blogdrive.com
Thank you Kelly, I think I might actually blush. I wasn't offended not at all, I laughed out loud (look, I actually typed the words instead of LOL) through most of it. I have actually met someone that I started talking to via the internet and she's a really nice lady and an even better friend. But yes I did get questioned by my husband about how crazy I am to be meeting someone that I was talking to on the internet.
That being said, before this turns into a post, which I may do later. Thanks, it was damn funny, and thanks Bard for the compliment.
OMG my family is the same way! They don't lecture me any more though...they just tune me out if I mention the evil internet. If we don't discuss it, it must not be there, right?
They have no idea that I met my live in boyfriend through IM's in a local chatroom. They would freak out if they knew. :0)
I have made several friends online before, and the longest friendship has lasted 7 years now. Not too bad. The weirdest thing that ever happened was when a friend of mine decided to try a date with a guy she met online, and I made sure I accompanied her. Just in case. The guy took us for the longest freaking drive out in the country. We were both really nervous, and I actually started searching the backseat for axes or knives. He finally brought us home, and she never saw him again.
But honestly, it's so nice to talk to people who don't know you. You get to be your best self and your worst self. The hard part is later talking to your "real life" friends and trying to tell them something an online friend has said. Sometimes the two don't mix.
(April)
Hey K!
Just wanted to clarify that if "I" said it, it was probably "y'all" rather than "you all". ;)
Sorry Poppster, I should have realized the y'all...
It's amazing how many people seem to have the same situation as I do when it comes to the "Internet People".
And Dude, no you can't have a picture of me topless.
My best friend knows about my blog (but doesn't have the address) and that's it. It's kind of like my private little place to write. I would be no where near as honest if I knew people I knew were reading it.
Not that I talk about particularly dirty or bad things, they are just my own thoughts.
Never met anyone off the internet though.
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