Are friends electric? Part 2
Part 2 : Are friends electric Boogaloo? I revisit my Blaugust post from 10 years ago.
Ten years ago today, we attended the wedding of family friends that we had met via the internet, gaming to be exact. I hadn't sat my driving test back then, so we had to take a train to the city from my in-laws' place and we used taxis to get between venues as needed.
Despite our logistical hindrances, the wedding was lovely and very moving for a number of reasons. We all had a blast.
When you see folks every day, their growing up is so gradual you can often miss it. Compare that to someone you may see every 6 months and it is really clear.
This is definitely true of our friend's son who was young when we first met. We have seen him grow up in 6 to 12 month snapshots, and now he is an adult and tall enough that he towers over us.
When I think of the folks that I have met over the years that I first knew online the number has continued to grow.
Admittedly, that did plateau over the last few years, what with the panini and new kiddo sucking up all our time and energy. But this year we have managed to get out allot more and see people in the flesh.
In the decade since my original post we have :
- Found lots of new folks that we interact with on a regular basis, coming from:
- Blogging
- Streaming
- Gaming
- Charity work
- Discord Servers
- Attended a second wedding of gaming friends
- Another is on the cards too
- Taken a holiday on four separate occasions with friends that we knew virtually at first
- Run a table-top RPG weekend away at a cottage, just playing Monster of the Week and DND
- Met up with folks we knew while attending conventions
- Travelled to London to hang out with a US friend I have known since the days of dial up
- Hosted some board game evenings with a friend that was staying in Wales for work
- Travelled by plane, train and boat to visit some folks
- Met up countless times with friends for great food and company
The temporary friendships that may form in real life, are often much harder to keep going than those where you start with shared ground. But maybe that's just me.
I think the biggest takeaway is one that I have always enjoyed since the early days of having the internet.
There is always someone new to meet and interact with, and that continues to make me happy.