the eugene bean

The internet is a powerful tool.

The internet has allowed me to meet and become friends with many people, it has allowed me to stay in touch with friends and family from thousands of miles away, it has allowed me to publish my layouts and my photos where people can enjoy them.

I just never thought the internet would provide me with a best friend.

About a year ago I met Wendy on a Scrapbooking site. I thought she was funny. I laughed at her posts. Wen was brave enough to tell me she liked me and she thought we had a lot in common. We moved on to email, and we’ve been able to really reach out to each other through our cyber talks. Our friendship progressed to phone calls and finally, a live-and-in-person get together.

I loved meeting Wen. I loved playing with her kids and meeting her mom and dad. I loved seeing her home and petting her new puppy. I LOVED reading her scrapbooks, they are phenomenal in person, and she does a fantastic job of sharing a story in her layouts.

I was a bit apprehensive at first; I couldn’t help but wonder if this friendship belonged in cyberspace. I wondered if we would damage it with a face to face meeting. Turns out I should have trusted us more. We have so much in common it’s as if we share a brain. We have similar tastes; we split up in TJ Max to shop and try on clothes and wound up picking out and buying the same exact sweater for the same exact reason. Wen respects my non religious beliefs despite (actually, probably because of) her own deeply Christian spirituality. We know we’ll never change each other’s minds and we’d never want to.

I have a newfound respect for married couples who meet online. I understand the beauty of getting to know people without having them in your face. We had a year of conversations to develop a relationship. I was a safe place for Wen to vent about her life during some difficult times, and she was there for me throughout the moving process. I felt safe sharing feelings with her that I was hesitant to share with my other friends and family. We could have parted ways easily, with little or no consequences. There was no pressure.

I chose her and she chose me. It’s just cool.