Today, I’m thinking about friends, and connections between people. My thought process has, I suspect, been sparked by starting this blog; one of the most interesting features it has is a map showing me the various countries people are in when they happen to click onto this little site of mine. My heart starts to race when I realise people in Australia, Canada, the US and the UK, among other places, have taken the time to have a look at what I’m doing here, and I wondered – what brought them here? How did they even hear of this blog? (Thank you all so much for having a look, by the way).
In many ways, I’m still quite an old-fashioned type. To me, the concept of something I’ve written being visible, immediately, to the entire world via the magic of the internet is just that – magic. I like the thought that I’ve retained a bit of that fascination, that amazement that goes with something you don’t truly understand; it makes every day a smidge more exciting.
Just as exciting, though, is the type of writing that only the writer, and the person written to, ever get to see: I’m talking here about ‘private correspondence’ (does anyone else remember that?) At the same time as I’ve been feeling so connected to the wider world, via the medium of this little blog, I’ve been realising how wonderful it is to have friends, of the flesh-and-blood variety. Since I began this journey I’ve been so lucky to have found huge support, from so many people. Sort of like the Rhinestone Cowboy, I’ve been getting cards and letters – but they’re from people I most definitely know. I’m looking at a card sent to me by one of my dearest friends as I write – it bears the wonderfully inspirational message ‘Sometimes you must leap… and grow your wings on the way down,’ and I have placed it beside my computer, along with several other beautiful ‘Good Luck!’ cards I’ve been lucky enough to get. I’m sure I’m going to have days when I’ll feel like I’m plummeting down into the abyss of Crazy Stupid Decisions, and I’ll wonder whether my wings will ever grow strong enough to bear me back up again, but for the moment, I’m leaping – and, thanks to my social networks, both real and virtual, I have a feeling things will be just fine.
Have a wonderful Saturday, everyone. Remember the Neil Young classic: ‘One of these days, I’m going to sit down and write a long letter/to all the good friends I’ve known’ – maybe today should be that day.
SJ O'Hart 