This space may be quiet for a few days as I am busy celebrating another year of life, my actual birthday is on Monday but ya know how it is….a weekday birthday means weekend celebrations. It feels like a big one though it is not, 39 trips around the sun. My last year in my 30’s, I must admit the 30’s kicked me clear the fuck into adulthood, seriously, do not pass go, do not collect $200. I remember when I turned 30 and thought oh wow…30. Little did I know that my 30’s were about to make me realize what being an adult could entail. Never mind, before the age of 25 I had been married, divorced, remarried and had a kid. Nope my 30’s were like that shit was child’s play.
I have shared with regular readers in the past that it was mere months after turning 30, that my beloved mother was diagnosed with cancer. To add insult to injury, she died 6 weeks after my 31st birthday. If that wasn’t enough my 32nd year brought a second chance at motherhood but also brought the deaths of my grandmother and a dear family friend effectively turning me into the matriarch of my family at 32. And people wonder why I often sound so much older than my actual years, losing the elders in your family and essentially become one of the elders before you are 35 will age you. Being left with a father who is at times almost childlike when you need a parent, makes you grow up very fast when you realize you are home, that never again will you play the role of child.
Enough with the sad tales though, while I am busy enjoying this weekend and basically being the queen of the manor I was reminded yet again this weekend how the real lives we lead these days while different than 10-15 years ago is very much real life. I am speaking of those online/offline connections or what some think of as real life and online…no more do I confuse the two because at least for me they are all my real life.
Last night one of my very real friends, my dearest and closest friend in Maine surprised little ole me with a surprise party that featured some good twitter pals. I was surprised yet honored, my friend knows that I have a love-hate thing with my birthday and in recent years have talked of doing some special but I never get around to it. So you can only imagine my surprise when I found out what was up….twitter pals, you know the pretend friends actually left their houses on a cold blustery night to hang out with me. I chuckled to myself and thought of those I know who refer to online life as not real. Nope, all those around the table were very real.
The villages that we form in 2012 may not come from the traditional forms of village that we are accustomed to, but the digital village can allow us to make a new village if we are open to it. A village that is just as real and supportive as the villages of yesterday, sure there may be some fakers in the digital village but the offline village has been known to have a few deceptive souls too.
Anyway time to get back to my weekend, relaxation, relaxation and more relaxation….oh and crafting duty with the six year old tomorrow.
PS: I do accept gifts, or better yet donate to help a blogger catch a few conferences this year.
PSS: No pressure 😉
