How I rejoined (and am still rejoining) humanity

Sometimes when you wake up with things you have/want to post about and have several other things on the to do list, it is easier to add "hope and pray the six of you understand" rather than go through all that publishing several different things palaver.

Anyhow - waaaaa-aaaay back a long time ago, I had heard rumours about people who had social lives - online. Can you imagine? There are some weird people in the world, eh?

Then things conspired to ensure that I was not so comfortable in the real world society. Those who know me in real life know what I allude to - those who have read long enough should be able to read between the lines.

Anyhow, it wasn't that I didn't have my real life friends rally around me - they did, and I am very grateful for that support. But I was in a place where I couldn't really reach out, and they were in a place where they met the stone wall of me not being able to.

One thing that helped save my sanity during that time was a small ad that appeared on a local council website - how it got there, I do not know, as it was for a forum based in the US for single mothers. Through this forum I found many women who, while not in my boat, were sailing similar waters - and there is nothing like finding people who can understand where you are at to help piece yourself together.

Over the years, that forum has had a few morphs - and not all of them pretty - but I learned the reality of online friendship. During one of the morphs, I discovered a similar board based here in Australia - and found that online friendships can convert into real life friendships as well.

(It was through a discussion from this board that led to me updating my RSVP profile, and finding V. Double bonus points!)

Since my foray into the blog world, I have found many people that I admire, that I aspire to be like, that amuse me - and that I believe I could become friends with in real life. I thank you for that (check out my blogroll for these folk!).

I have also discovered, of late, two forums devoted to Australian bloggers.

The first, All For Women Online arose from a blog I discovered through one of those bloggers who I think would be my friend in real life, Mad Goat Lady.

The second, Aussie Bloggers Forum also has a blog to support it, and I was pointed that way by Jen at Semantically Driven.

Both of these are wonderful ways of learning more about the art of blogging and as a way of meeting some great bloggers (novices and experts) in a more casual atmosphere - and you don't HAVE to be an Aussie to join.

I have not had a chance to spend much time in these rooms yet - what with school holidays, sporadic work and paradise beckoning - but by next Tuesday I may saunter in again.

I would also like to introduce a real life friend of mine who has joined the world of blogging Bush Babe - a fabulous photographer, a wonderful woman, a great friend (and the best big sister a little sister could have).

Anyway - off to pack the bags as, in answer to those questions of "where does one go for a holiday when you live at the beach?", we are going to another beach for the Australia Day weekend - with another of those real life friends who was there for me all the way.

Happy Australia Day!!