In early 1999, I read about a Web site in a magazine. It was called "Open Diary.com." Shortly thereafter I began my first online journal, which I kept off and on for many years. Not long after starting that journal, a woman in New York "found" me through a random search of diaries. We began a cyber-relationship that has now existed for nearly 10 years. We have been through a lot, and she knows all my secrets. I don't even know when my veil of anonymity dropped, but somewhere along the line it did.
So, here I am all these years later, still hacking it out on the Web. I still haven't published my memoir. I just keep writing it. And, I still can't make that rotten-tea kambucha. (?) I learned a lot from Julia's entries. (Had Open Diary had better IT support, its owners would own Blogger.) This was in the days before Google, friends. I'm almost certain of that.
I counted counted on Julia's "notes" to get me through many dark days. (Open Diary was the first site to innovate the reader comment.) She doesn't know it, but her cold-hard-truth-advice from 3,000 anonymous miles away, helped me dump at least one loser.
Julia has left me a couple of notes recently on this blog, for which I am grateful. She will find the writing here far less raw than it was in the earlier part of the decade since this is a public journal. I hope she is still able to decipher me despite all the cards I hold to my chest.
Thursday, September 11
Julia
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7 comments:
I could not stop laughing - to read about my cold hard truth advice. But I am so honored that my notes and advice were taken so to heart.
Wow, 10 years... (or almost). I guess we both must have started about the same time? I should start preparing for my big 10 year mark celebration, lol. Oy.
All these years of all our dreams of happiness and waiting and striving to make it happen, written out on these "pages". You're right, I basically realised this IS our memoires - unedited. I do think between the lines as I read, but wishing I could know more.
That's amazing! I just love how the web allows us to connect with so many others.
Wonderful story of friendship, Jen! I love the way that you and Julia made a connection from so far away.
Hugs,
Debbie
Whoa! That is pretty cool. A ten year relationship from the web. That seems pretty unusual to me. But what do I know.
Back in 1996-1998, I struck up a few aol chat relationships but the only seemed to last as long as I was in living in Kalamazoo. But they weren't really friendships so much as flirtations, if you know what I'm saying.
This chick in Chicago and I got along like gangbusters. We'd even talk in the phone, for hours. But she never wanted to meet. She said it was because we'd met in a chat room but I suspected that she was involved and didn't know how to tell me.
There was another young woman that I traveled all the way to Pennsylvania to visit. We spent a nice weekend together but after that we never communicated again.
On the other hand, the web has allowed me to keep up with good friends who too far away to see on a regular basis. And I really dig that!
Julia! I am in New York too! OMGosh will this make us rivals for Jen's Gen X bloggers or BFFs forever? I am nervous.
Jen: you do have an amazing way of bringing people together. I always want to be by you at a bustop in the rain--you are very good at sharing your umbrella.
Thank you for these comments! You all made my day!!
I love this story ... maybe in nine years and six months we too can have a ten year anniversary ... even if not the year 2008 will always be special to me for the connections made across cyber space with the Jens, Sarahs, Lorries, Julias and more ... that have bought me laughter, tears, empathy and added depth of experience to my own. I am one lucky chickadee indeed.
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