Wednesday, July 25, 2012

A Great Friend that I have never even met

Do you have great relationships with people that you have never met in real life before?
I do. Ok, its not really relationships its more relationship. 
I work for a huge company and we have office in just about every state, and even in most large cities of every state. One of the key groups that I used to work with before my promotion back in February was located in St. Louis, MO. I worked really closely with a girl named Mary Anne. We emailed and talked almost daily about work stuff, and then we started to get to know one another through little stories, antic dotes, and inside jokes. 
 After I was promoted, my work with Mary Anne ended. But we still kept emailing and talking. We actually email all day long. We basically have an on going conversation from the moment each of us gets to work. I get to work, log on, and she emails me first thing every morning, and then we just start having a conversation that just happens to last all day. 
I actually had the chance to meet my friend Mary Anne about a month ago. She was going on vacation and had a 3 hour lay over in Dallas, and we decided to meet up and go out for lunch. It was great fun, but a little weird. When she got in my car, she just started laughing and said it was so weird to talk to me face to face. I can't lie, it was totally awkward.While we were eating, I told her I felt like we were on a really awkward first date. But, it ended up getting better. 
Today, we are at a point that we email and text daily, and even chat on the phone about once or twice a week. Its weird to me to have someone that I actually consider to be a close friend, someone that I have only spent about 3 hours with. 
Is that weird?
In this day and age, I know the Internet connects us like never before, but sometimes it blows my mind how connected we really are. 

One thing about Mary Anne and I is that we are brutally honest with each other. We don't beat around the bush, but our friendship has this almost unspoken pact that no matter the circumstance, its always going to be 100% honesty. No sugar coating, no beating around the bush, just the cold hard truth. Is it because we don't have to actually face each other every day that we can have this really authentic friendship? Is it because we have the freedom to retract? Is it because we are hundreds of miles away, and we can stare at a computer screen, and be honest through this medium?

Honestly, I don't know. I do know that I value her friendship and that I hope to continue growing our friendship. 

Weight in please, I would love your thoughts. What do you think about digital friendships? Have you ever met someone online and become friends?

7 comments:

lesley: the dream tree said...

that's an awesome story! i have a few friends like that, but none that i really am that close with. if you're ever in st. louis to visit her, let me know!!

Michelle said...

I think that's a really sweet story and not weird at all! There's a lot of bloggers that I've never met, but I feel closer to them then I do my own friends, so I know what you mean.

PS I live in St louis also! If you ever visit her, visit both me and lesley!

~Carla~ said...

I've et quite a few blogging friends & we got along great! I think it's a great way to really get to know someone, no holds barred! :)

Denise said...

I have "met" one blogger who had a similar situation as yours. It was totally weird. My family and hers was there too. I think that is the fun part about blogging/emailing - the connecting with people that you might have never connected with - oh, like you :)

Brooke said...

i find myself being blunt easier with people via the computer. even on my rougest days, i find myself confiding in my message board friends, rather than my "real" friends.

One Family said...

My hubby has a couple of friends like that. They share a common interest and met online that way. They talk on the phone several times a month and text/email often. It does seem kind of weird to be friends with someone you've never even met, but it's kind of neat, too.

Holly said...

That's a great story! I have a handful of friends like this. I signed up for a language learning company a few years back and become friends with two people and we've kept in touch and skype and e-mail all the time. Now I'm friends with a couple of their friends and this year we're finally going to all meet up!