Over the years, I've "met" quite a few people through blogging. However, it has almost never been feasible to consider a real-life meeting with any of them because of distance or schedules or the fact that who even does that, getting together with someone you met on the internet??
Well, as of yesterday, I am the person who does that. But I had more than just a blog connection to induce me. First, Kathy is the mother of the wife of the brother of some old friends of ours. So, we're practically related. Second, I somehow finagled my way into being a reader for Kathy's MA thesis, aka her memoir featuring six tumultuous months of her life. I read bits and pieces over the past year and just recently got to read the (almost) final product. I devoured it in one sitting.
My point is that I kind of know this lady, even if I had never met her in real life before yesterday. We made plans to meet up at the beautiful grounds of the Mormon temple in Lake Oswego (it was a convenient meeting place since she lives south of there and I live north of there). My parents came along with Jeremy and the girls and me, because it was a nice afternoon and maybe also because they'd heard me blather on about this lady's thesis and they just wanted to meet her already. I felt a little weird bringing a huge posse with me to meet Kathy for the first time but I also knew enough about her to suspect she wouldn't mind.
I recognized her (and by assumption, her husband Mark) immediately in the parking lot of the temple Visitor Center and from that point on it was like we were old friends. Seriously. It was at once surreal to be talking to someone I've "known" only online for a couple of years and yet somehow totally natural to be catching up on what's new.
After our meeting, I found myself aglow in the joy of meeting a kindred spirit in person and enjoying a good chat. It turns out there's nothing to be afraid of - getting together with people you meet on the internet is totally awesome!
Well, as of yesterday, I am the person who does that. But I had more than just a blog connection to induce me. First, Kathy is the mother of the wife of the brother of some old friends of ours. So, we're practically related. Second, I somehow finagled my way into being a reader for Kathy's MA thesis, aka her memoir featuring six tumultuous months of her life. I read bits and pieces over the past year and just recently got to read the (almost) final product. I devoured it in one sitting.
My point is that I kind of know this lady, even if I had never met her in real life before yesterday. We made plans to meet up at the beautiful grounds of the Mormon temple in Lake Oswego (it was a convenient meeting place since she lives south of there and I live north of there). My parents came along with Jeremy and the girls and me, because it was a nice afternoon and maybe also because they'd heard me blather on about this lady's thesis and they just wanted to meet her already. I felt a little weird bringing a huge posse with me to meet Kathy for the first time but I also knew enough about her to suspect she wouldn't mind.
I recognized her (and by assumption, her husband Mark) immediately in the parking lot of the temple Visitor Center and from that point on it was like we were old friends. Seriously. It was at once surreal to be talking to someone I've "known" only online for a couple of years and yet somehow totally natural to be catching up on what's new.