Bitten by Books
DISCLAIMER: I had no ideas for a column this week, so you get lovey dovey tripe and pictures of my son. Huzzah! Sing with me ! “We are (E-)Family! Einstein ain’t got shit on me!”
While sitting together on the couch, perusing our perspective Facebook pages – because the most romantic thing in the world for a couple to do is sit next to each other and e-stalk other people – I made the off-hand comment that I hadn’t met probably half my Facebook friends.
”Well that’s weird.”
”Nuh uh.”
”Yuh huh.”
”Bite me.”
The juvenile exchange got me thinking – is it weird that I’m so close to so many people I’ve never met?
If I were a lonely teenage girl with no real-life friends, the answer would be a resounding yes. But I’m a grown-ass woman. I have friends, a family, a job, all the normal “Look! I’m an adult!” stuff required of me. The people I talk to online are other fellow reviewers, readers, authors, or other people in the publishing world I’ve connected with over the years. I’ve grown so close to some of these people (BBB Wonder Twins: Unite! VPeeps for life! I love you all! I’m not on drugs I promise!) that I feel like we’ve known each other forever. I know where their kids go to school; how their husbands feel about the “naughty books” they read; how deathly afraid of spiders we all seem to be.
The most impressive aspect of this, though, is how we all come together in times of need. Over the past few weeks there have been several family emergencies for my e-friends, and each time I’ve been astonished by the responses and caring given by people who’ve never met the afflicted people.
I have a big ass family I’ve never met and I’m completely okay with it. What about you guys? Do you have an e-family of your own? Do you feel like, dysfunctional as we may be at times, our online community of readers, reviewers, and authors is one giant family? And if so, can I be the creepy aunt who crashes on the couch??
On my father’s side I have a big-arse family and to his parents (my grandparents) I was but a number. The oldest grandchildren were their favorites, and they let it be known.
So I am rather use to being invisible on my dad’s side. Even to this day on facebook. They respond to my younger brother’s crudity but it is like I don’t exist. Which I got over.
On my mom’s side since my grandparents passed everyone went their own way. Grandpa and Grandma was the glue that kept everyone together.
I may be “no one” to those that share blood with me but to my e-family I am someone. There are couple guys I’ve adopted as “on-line brother”. What is sad that he treats me better than my true brothers… And he went to two romance signings for me.
Then there are several gals that I have adopted as “on-line sisters”. These people have been at my back through the toughest times, there to be in spirit to help pick me up.
Lol not sure you want to sleep on my couch. My weiner dogs would snuggle up real nicely.
Uh, dopey tripe is the best stuff out there! If there was something wrong with it, well then half the stuff I say would be ridiculous.
Firstly, heaven forbid if we were all trapped in a room with a spider. We’d all be trapped in there for eternity!Or someone would have to take one for the team and confont it.
So it makes sense that people online are close. You seek them out because of commonalities, not like making friends because of proximity. I’m not saying that people who live closer can’t be friends or have things in common. But online you seek people out who have similar likes.
Like those who you can talk to about the guy that’s an alpha were-lion without haveing them look at you funny. Or when you don’t have to say were-hyenas, repeatedly because they can’t believer what you’re saying.
See! Like the fact that I know, most people on her, can figure out exactly what series I’m talking about from those two references.
So I have no problem with jacked up e-families! I think what makes it all okay, is that we all get each other. We have this giant common ground and everything else stems and grows from that.
And my couch is always open!
My best friends are on the net, though one of which I know off the net, she is like a sister to me . We have been friends for 20 plus years.
but since joining the book loving community, I have made even more friends I hope to someday meet.
I’m okay with spiders (depending on their size)!! If they were like the size of those suckers from Harry Potter then each woman for themselves, but little ones I can handle. My husband yells at me all the time because I’ll grab a piece of mail to push them onto and then run to the door to throw them out. I can’t kill anything. (except mosquitos) ALL MOSQUITOS MUST DIE!! when it’s winter time he reminds me I’m throwing them to their death, but as long as I’m not squishing them I can live with that.
About 20 years ago my husbands family had reunions all the time, but as time went on and the older peeps starting dying off the get togethers dropped off and now we no longer meet. It’s sad I think, and today’s technology has helped play a hand in it because most people can connect online so nobody has to meet face to face anymore. And I work 6 days a week with Sunday being my only day off, and it’s hard trying to find time to do what I want. Cleaning has really dropped to a low priority to me by the way, so you might not want my couch!!
I like getting online at night and visiting the sites I like and chatting once in a while to peeps and that has satisfied my craving to have “friends”, and mostly I prefer it that way now.
I probably don’t know a tenth of my friends on Facebook. It is a great way to keep up with my college age kids activities though
I’ve got what I’d consider my e-family on BookMooch because I spend a lot of time there. I also know a lot of bloggers by name, but that’s more like the relationship normal people have with celebrities:)
I feel the book community is my e family. My blood family is not close at all. You must walk with back to the wall or a gun in your hand to make sure
you come out alive at Christmas which is the only time we all must make an appearence. I can be real on line and enjoy myself. I have some close friends
of over 45 years but I’m from a small community.
You can come and sleep on my couch anytime. The cats will love it and so will some of my dogs!!
I do have many online friends that I have never met in person, and some of them do indeed feel like true friends. Certainly the cappability we have to interact with people who shar our interests has been forever changed, and I think sometimes important relationships can be built that way.
I have developed quite a few blogging friends these past few years and I love them all! Have even met a few in person at signings and conventions so it’s always so cool when that happens!
it’s ok that you talked about your family this column. Family is important and it’s nice to see a part of your life “outside” the column. Thanks for sharing.
Family IS the most important thing in my life too. However, that said, so glad school started back so that instead of entertaining my 7 year old granddaughter 4 days a week, I can put that time to catching up on my reading and blogging.
I have many online friends and many that I think of as family even some that I am closer to than some of my own family members.
I think sometimes that it’s easier to talk to, vent, etc. with people you don’t know. It’s nice also to have people on facebook with the same interests as you, where maybe your friends don’t share a lot of them.
Since my disability and lack of being able to get out of the house very often, the majority of my friends are e-friends. Some of them I have met, some I’ve know personally for years, but, alot of them I’ve never met at all. So I completely understand. I love spending time online with my e-friends (mostly on FB) and whenever one of them is ill or needs help I send them healing energy or a kind word to help them over the rough spots.
I often wonder about my sanity too, when I realize that over half of my twitter bunch is people I’ve never met. As it is with you, most are authors, readers, bloggers and those associated with the publishing world. I have friends in the real world too, but I’m glad I have my bookies as well.
Hey Jackie,
Love Little Man’s new look though as a mom I know you mourn the loss of those gorgeous curls.
I certainly have many e-friends I have never met in person. However, I enjoy being able to have regular contact with people from all over and instead of closing off my world, i believe it opens it up!
has anyone ever told you that with black, black hair and Gothic clothing you could so pass as Kensey on Lost Girl. OIh, and you would need spooky blue contacts
Gosh, Lisa is kinda right. It’s the cute pixie shaped face!
It’s true that in every family, there is a black sheep, Ms. Know-It-All, the Snob, the Beach-Bum, and Ms. Responsible. I noticed that in my family, friends, and even observing strangers.
Cute post and pictures.