Back in the day when I was in school, an English class I took required me to join this happy little online world called VZones. We were studying different types of media (books, newspapers, television, the Internet, etc. Not The Media like the people who provide skewed stories) and he was using VZones as an experiment on whether classes could be taught using this type of application.
Anyhow, being the little computer geek I am, I took to it right away. I loved creating an avatar, and trying out all the games and such. Talking to the people took me a while, as I was still pretty shy back then. I finally stumbled upon a group of people I have come to love and respect very very much. I spent an unhealthy amount of time "inworld" chatting, laughing, joking, and having some of the best times of my life. All with people I’ve never met. I shared everything with them, trusted them, and consider them my closest friends, regardless of distance.
Last year, when my office moved, I lost the ability to be with these friends as often as I wanted to be. At first, I’d get to catch them for a couple hours after work, but I started working later and later, and suddenly I didn’t get to see them at all. Most of them live in the Eastern or Central time zone, and I’m in Pacific. So when I finally got around to logging in, they would be asleep. Some of them I kept in touch with via AIM or e-mail, but it’s not the same as all of us sitting and chatting together. I’d get to pop in occasionally on weekends, so we didn’t lose touch altogether, but it wasn’t the same as being there all day every day.
So tonight I got a chance to log in, and oh my hell, how I’ve missed these people. I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard. They’re just a hilarious group of people, and I honestly cannot believe that I’d started to forget that. I was a little afraid of coming back after being away for so long. I was afraid things would be different. That I wouldn’t be part of the group anymore. But it was like I’d never left, and it truly made me a little teary eyed that I was was welcomed with such open pixelated arms.
I guess that fear is what has kept me from contacting a lot of my friends. It’s been so long, are they going to be upset with me for staying away, or will we go back to the friendship we had. It won’t be the same in every situation, but I’ll never know until I try, right? I’m thankful for all the new friends I’ve made- through this blog, and others that I’ve been frequenting, but I’m also thankful that I’ve made such great friends in the past, that they can forgive me for my weaknesses, and welcome me back into their lives. I love you guys.