Being around BlogHer, I’ve been connecting with folks I (a) have only met through their blogs or (b) haven’t seen in a long time or (c) am meeting for the first time, and I look forward to reading their blogs. It’s been utterly fantastic, and it’s reminded me of something I’ve been seriously missing in my life lately — female friends!
I recently got a visit from a friend who, at one point in our twenties, I spoke with every day and saw several times a week, at least. Later, even though we moved to separate cities, we still talked at least once a week, maybe for hours. That basically ended, slowly, when I started getting serious with the Scottish hearthrob who became my husband. And then my world shrunk even more when I moved across the country, away from friends it had taken me 5 years or so to develop relationships with. At the time, I was pregnant, so a tried-and-true relationship-building technique — “hey, let’s go out for a drink after work” — was sort of out of the question. Then, I had a newborn baby, and now I have a 2-year-old I’m basically raising on my own. Meanwhile, we are planning to move across the country, so it seems pointless to forge relationships with people I’ll soon end up leaving.
All this to say, my situation hasn’t been conducive to meeting people and building relationships, but… I need them. Desperately. Especially at the moment, where my best friend (my husband), isn’t so especially available. What am I going to do about it? Blog more, probably, and be more involved in the blogosphere. Reach out more to my local friends — yes, I do have some, despite the obstacles. How exciting. And how wonderful to be here and now, with all of these great potential blog friends.