Good lord I've been too busy and not blogging, for shame! Anyhoo, over these past few weeks that I've been preparing for the holiday season at the Bookstore, I've noticed when I come home to my computer that my messenger friends have been decreasing. At first I took it personally, and then I recalled that not too long ago I deleted a number of people from my own messenger. I was overloaded, overwhelmed some days. I'd log on and be inundated with immediate messages...I'd never even get to my mail. So all non essentials went buh bye. I kept my family and a few friends and those friends are dwindling. Early this summer I quit making daily appearance in chat as well....I just found that it was, at times, a waste of brain cells and I was becoming a garrish parody of what I am in the flesh. The internet has brought us all closer, yet we tend to push *reality* aside and befriend people we may never meet. And they play a part in our lives...daily. These people can make or break a mood and we let them!! It's silly when you think about it, but true. I have made some great friends through chat, truly awesome people that I enjoying nuturing a relationship with. I know the kind of people I want in my life, cyber and in the real world and that goes for the people I meet it works both ways. I just hope that the people that enrich my life stick around. It's true, some days I just want check my mail and surf, I could turn off my messenger...but the addiction of having it there keeps it on...just knowing my sister is online is kind of reassuring or for that matter my friends....when I see those nicnames, I'm reassured that they are ok and still want me in their lives. Yeah that sounds a bit neurotic and insecure to a degree, but we've made this monster and it must be fed. Last week I finished the book American Gods by Neil Gaiman and it pointed out how we have made our computers Gods a daily worship so to speak....sometimes we want to pray in silence and other times celebrate en masse! Funky thing the internet, its a whole new way to learn, gain friendships and to shop ;) But, I feel that you have got to remain grounded in all the realities that shape your life and use this monster to your benifit....some days tickle the monster, but don't let the monster eat you!