Friday 6 August 2010

The Twitterati


18 months ago I was what you might call an internet luddite. I had no Facebook. No Myspace page and I certainly did not engage in any Twittering. The only thing I used the internet for was shopping and banking. And that was just the way I liked it. I didn't do social networking. I did real life.

And I was smug about it too. I looked down on people posting their latest holiday pics on Facebook and smirked when my friends told me how they had started tweeting. I didn't need these silly sites occupying my time. I was far more busy and important, dealing with 3-dimensional people, to waste my time on such juvenile things. And I certainly didn't need Facebook to tell me how many friends I had.....

Then something changed. I had a bit of an early mid-life crisis and I quit my (pretty decent and well-paid) job. I quit because I was deeply unhappy on the road it was taking me (more on that later). Anyway, being the drama queen that I am, I handed in my notice in my usual over-the-top fashion, without having another job to walk into. Whilst enjoying my little sabbatical between jobs (sitting watching Jeremy Kyle & continuously sending out my CV), I got bored. I got bored and I decided that, just to pass the time of course, I would check out some of these sites. The result is hardly surprising. I quickly became just as addicted as the rest of the British public.

Nowadays I am a bit of an internet geek. I update my Facebook status at least once a week and savour nosily over other peoples blogs. But it's Twitter that has become my great love. Little did I know that idle Tuesday morning, while setting up an account, that I was starting one of my biggest obsessions to date. I tweet constantly. I'm obsessed with reading other peoples tweets and I get actual withdrawal symptoms if I go more than a few hours without checking my @ replies. I drive my friends nuts. I tweet during movies causing them to pause halfway through so they can explain what the hell is going on. I craftily angle my phone under the table so I can try and tweet with one hand whilst enjoying a glass of wine after work with a mate. It's becoming an issue. I've went from being "too cool for all that " to living my life vicariously through the internet browser on my mobile phone.

But more to the point, and what this blog is actually about, is that I have made some real friends on Twitter.

Ok, so I might not actually have met any of these 'real friends' yet. But I still consider them real all the same. Scoff if you want. Call me sad......my little sister did. But it is actually possibly to build up real friendships with a profile picture. To the point that I will hopefully be meeting up with some of them soon for some cocktails when I descend down to London. And if not then, then soon I hope.

Don't get me wrong, I am not bezzie mates with all of my followers. But there's a few who have become close to my heart. We tweet practically everyday. They sometimes know more about what is going on in my life than the friends who I see regularly. They offer fashion advice, giggle at my jokes and make me feel better when I confess to having just polished off an entire tub of Ben & Jerrys. And when things get a bit tough, or I've been knocked a bit, and it's just a little too personal for Twitter, then we text/email each other to check we're ok. It's nice. And I have managed to form these lovely bonds without them taking over or away from any of my real-life, day-to-day friendships.

Don't get me wrong. As much as I am blessed to know these lovely muckers, I need my proper friends too. A friendly email or a sweet cheer-up text can mean the world when you are cracking open the second bottle of Chardonnay and debating lesbianism. But nothing compares to the friend who holds your hair back whilst you regurgitate half a bottle of vodka. Or the mate who brings cake and wine when she knows you are feeling low. But these guys HAVE become friends. And I love them nonetheless. And I can't wait to meet them all in due course.....

Theres alot of people on Twitter who I think are wonderful. But this choice few in particular have a special place in my heart. Here they are:


@Sarahies


@Gemmies_


@Chatoooties


@Mc_Clareies


@MPisthename


@Kimmydorset

Go on. Give them a follow......you won't regret it.

1 comment:

foo said...

Totes-ies! I never heard the word "twitterati" before !! Still so much to learn! X