The internet in general and social media in particular can be seriously overwhelming. It’s hard to keep up with all of the blog posts and news feeds, the status updates, pins, and tweets. Some people just walk away from all the digital noise, choosing instead to make connections with people in the real world.
Truth be told, keeping up with BFD on top of my personal digital life can be tough. I have a BFD Pinterest account, but I neglect it on a regular basis. Blogging several times a week and posting on Facebook and Twitter is my limit right now. Still, as busy as having two digital lives can be, I couldn’t be happier about it – because digital connections can be as real and powerful as those we make face to face.
Case in point: My friend Laurie. Laurie and I went to the same college, dear old (since departed) Bradford College in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Laurie was a couple of years ahead of me in school. I have a few memories of her on campus, but none I would call significant. Since Bradford closed in 2000, Facebook has been a virtual alumni association for us Fighting Squirrels; Laurie and I became Facebook friends a few years ago, but we never really interacted.
And then I started Big Fit Deal. Laurie noticed it. Laurie contacted me. We started talking – a lot – about body issues. She told me she was having weight loss surgery. I asked her to document her experience for BFD, and she graciously agreed (click on Personal Journeys to read Laurie’s story). Now, a year later, Laurie and I “talk” (mostly over email) almost every day. We’ve found that we have a million things in common outside the world of BFD. Sometimes I get a little sad that all these years have passed without Laurie in my life, but she’s here now, and that’s what matters.
And she was literally here! She drove up to Maine to see me earlier this week. We hadn’t laid eyes on each other in about 20 years. But when she walked in the door, it was like we’d known each other forever.
Who knew almost 40 could look this good?
The ways in which we connect with people in the world are amazing. I’m here in my favorite place on earth with two people I met years ago when I lived in Nashville; I randomly met Chris on the patio of a restaurant one night when I first moved to Music City. When he waited on me that night, I had no idea that almost two decades later, we’d be such good friends that we’d go on vacation together.
You never know. Whether in the digital world or the real world, you never know who is going to waltz into your life, change it, and maybe stay for good. Big Fit Deal has brought people back into my life that I didn’t really know before (hi, Mary!), it’s brought new people into my life. BFD has opened up a whole new world for me, and I love the people who are filling it.
If there’s a takeaway from this post, it’s to keep your eyes and heart open. Try not to judge, whether it’s someone’s belief system or body size. You never know if the next person to cross your path is going to start walking it with you.
