When I started blogging, it was to build a platform. I thought you could just sit down, whip out some brilliance, get loads of fans, and then churn our those best-selling books that your people would buy. *insert hysterical laughter* Oh to be young and naive again.
Church talks a lot about how community is important. And so we put people in groups and tell them they are community for each other. And that works for some people, but not really for me. I used to think that the problem was just me. I wasn’t good with people. I wasn’t good at community. I didn’t know how to be a friend.
And all of that might still be true.
But in my pursuit of platform, I discovered something that is more valuable to me than any best-seller list. I discovered community. It’s happened naturally, ‘organically’, and when this digital form of friendship spills over into real life, it is one of the greatest things.
I know people use blogs and Twitter as a form of platform building and spreading their message. I have to try and not be an ass when I hear people ridicule social media, because I know they just don’t get it. And yes, there is obviously drama and people fight and argue and parody and can be mean and nice within a matter of minutes. But doesn’t that actually happen in life? In community?
Social media has given me the friends I thought I couldn’t have, that I have a hard time finding in ‘real life’. And over the past few weeks, I’ve gotten to see some of them, which has been amazing. And after having a couple of really rough months, the time spent with friends has felt like such a grace.
So, I would like to introduce you to some of my friends. So that when you meet that one person who says ‘What do you mean, you met on the Twitter’, you know that looks like.
We talked about writing and life, shared stories and tears. Listening to my friends read their posts aloud, which had brought me to tears over the screen, was profoundly sacred.
Sarah Bost-Askins @sarahbostaskins
We ate meals together.
We broke bread together.
Introducing a Texan to Lake Michigan was one of the greatest things ever.
Life stories get shared. Hard things get said.
We enourage and give thanks for the other.
Bonding over Indian food
We’ve shared our houses, and our couches.
We toured the city and rolled our eyes at the nonsense.
Discovered the city together.
Enjoyed the beach.
Our kids played together.
Friendships formed over tweets turn real under the sun.
It’s no small thing to begin a friendship over social media, y’all. No small thing at all.
Love this so, so much. (And steal from my instagram feed anytime, friend. Especially when your reason is as strong as the one above that still has me giggling.)
I’m so serious, too. Photoshop couldn’t even fix it. I had my neck sticking out at a really weird angle, LOL.
This is why it’s so sad when people get hung up on building a “platform.” They’re completely missing out on the community. I loved, loved, loved getting to spend some time with you in person these past couple weeks. 🙂
Love it!!! I’m so glad we found each other on Twitter:) Love you!! (And your heart, mind, and opinions too!) I am so thankful for our community that is so strong and amazing it could not be contained online and had to spill over into real life!
Love this!! But love you more 🙂
So glad I found you over the social media, twitter, blogosphere. Community with all of you has been such a gift.
This is so cool! I also have met some really awesome people in blogland- hopefully I’ll meet them in real life someday.
I’m so glad to have connected with the amazing people that I have through social media 🙂
beautiful! an unexpected blessing that i won’t devalue or disparage. loved meeting you, friend.
I love this! I’m thankful for my Twitter friends that have rolled over into so much more.
aw this is great. Thanks for including me! It was so cool to meet after I’ve read you for so long. 🙂
Love this, Caris! So glad you were able to go on the writing retreat and connect face to face with so many. Some of my greatest friendships started on Twitter.
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