September 29, 2012

• To My Xanga Friends

  Hey You,

  We lead this bizarre existence where entire personalities, hearts and souls get written in this public space, and yet vast stretches of our lives simply don’t exist for each other. Like living someone else’s life through TIVO. only the drama, the joy, the excitement of what we choose to show you. Or maybe just the commercials and the highlights. Never a complete picture.

  It’s cathartic to have strangers care, to comment and encourage, and sympathize. If I were to die tomorrow, nobody here would know, but so many of you are people who intellectually at least understand me in ways I don’t trust myself to open up to those I see every day.

  Perhaps we commented back and forth for a while before one of us stopped writing. I still find it amazing after all this time how connected I can feel to someone with whom I have never exchanged more than a sentence or two a month. Some of you I have developed real world friendships with. Others were my literary equivalent of one night stands. Some of you appeared out of nowhere right when I needed to hear you the most, and then vanished back into the aether, perhaps to provide inspiration to others.

  Just proves that words have more power than we give them credit for.

  So, Thanks. Thanks for the free therapy. Thanks for providing a place where your lack of existence only makes you more real. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings, hopes and dreams, tragedies and triumphs. And thanks for the comments. even when I dont respond, I read them all and remember connections that sparked, however briefly, two humans reaching out and connecting with no ulterior motives, just a desire to make oneself heard by their fellow man.

  You guys and gals are awesome. Keep being whatever it is you are when you aren’t here, because it’s working.

  • 2:59 am
  • 3 Comments