Having Friends
November, 14th 2006
Years passed so fast, and so much has been lost. I lost some dear friends, others not that much. My children had grown more than I could imagine. My parents aged. My career committed suicide. My nephews are men and women I love. My son is a great honest man who I'm so proud of. My daughter is a young woman who I admire and makes me happy. My city is not mine anymore. A new city adopted me. I have more wrinkles, more muscles, less waist, longer hair, I'm more conscientious, I am younger, and I am lighter.
Many things had changed. Others just don't surprise me.
I moved to another country and I would miss my friends horribly. I remember that.
Oh my god… How would I be without these people?
It was 1996. Far from home, I signed on the interner for the very first time. I clicked on the America Online icon, and opened an account. Browsing, I got to the entertainment area and then, by accident, I've found "Hollywood Cafe". What I've found there was people talking about my kind of things.... as they were part of my hall of friends.
I was fascinated, tempted to chat, but I was afraid to write for my English wasn't good enough. I went to that chatroom once, twice, and... one night when I entered the room, somebody said: "Hi, Mg". Followed by many others "Hi Mg's". There was nothing I could do but to follow my impulse and talk back. That was just the start.
That was when one of the best parts of me – MgMyself - came to light and brought people who changed my life. People who still have a giant influence on who I am. Some were brilliant, others ridiculous, some so real, others fake, some selfish, others wonderful. Some amusing, some just plain interesting.
I made friends there. Many. Innumerable. In that place, I discovered that people become too close when they meet over the Internet. I've met them in real life sometimes, and one year later I came back to Brazil.
Time passes...people passed. Once again, many of them had been lost but a small number was not. With these few special friends I’ve been talking by e-mail and instant messages for the last 10 years. From far apart, we watched the growth of our children, graduations, marriages that ended, new relationships, sadnesses, losses, joy, Christmases…and life.
Last month I had the pleasure to see four of my dearest close friends: Mary Pat Cantrell, Bonnye, -- and indispensables, infallibles -- Wendie Dox and Kim Zimmermann. How happy is this?
This is for saying that life gives us things that will never be taken from us. Some friendships and some people are bigger than any distance. I know, and they know that we are together, even if one of us lives in the other side of the world. I know and they know that nothing on this planet can destroy what we’ve built, from far away, on solid foundations.
Years passed so fast, and so much has been lost. I lost some dear friends, others not that much. My children had grown more than I could imagine. My parents aged. My career committed suicide. My nephews are men and women I love. My son is a great honest man who I'm so proud of. My daughter is a young woman who I admire and makes me happy. My city is not mine anymore. A new city adopted me. I have more wrinkles, more muscles, less waist, longer hair, I'm more conscientious, I am younger, and I am lighter.
Many things had changed. Others just don't surprise me.
I moved to another country and I would miss my friends horribly. I remember that.
Oh my god… How would I be without these people?
It was 1996. Far from home, I signed on the interner for the very first time. I clicked on the America Online icon, and opened an account. Browsing, I got to the entertainment area and then, by accident, I've found "Hollywood Cafe". What I've found there was people talking about my kind of things.... as they were part of my hall of friends.
I was fascinated, tempted to chat, but I was afraid to write for my English wasn't good enough. I went to that chatroom once, twice, and... one night when I entered the room, somebody said: "Hi, Mg". Followed by many others "Hi Mg's". There was nothing I could do but to follow my impulse and talk back. That was just the start.
That was when one of the best parts of me – MgMyself - came to light and brought people who changed my life. People who still have a giant influence on who I am. Some were brilliant, others ridiculous, some so real, others fake, some selfish, others wonderful. Some amusing, some just plain interesting.
I made friends there. Many. Innumerable. In that place, I discovered that people become too close when they meet over the Internet. I've met them in real life sometimes, and one year later I came back to Brazil.
Time passes...people passed. Once again, many of them had been lost but a small number was not. With these few special friends I’ve been talking by e-mail and instant messages for the last 10 years. From far apart, we watched the growth of our children, graduations, marriages that ended, new relationships, sadnesses, losses, joy, Christmases…and life.
Last month I had the pleasure to see four of my dearest close friends: Mary Pat Cantrell, Bonnye, -- and indispensables, infallibles -- Wendie Dox and Kim Zimmermann. How happy is this?
This is for saying that life gives us things that will never be taken from us. Some friendships and some people are bigger than any distance. I know, and they know that we are together, even if one of us lives in the other side of the world. I know and they know that nothing on this planet can destroy what we’ve built, from far away, on solid foundations.
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