Community
Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create, or more deeply connect with in 2011?
The internet, as we all know, is full of murderers and degenerates. Yet against every odd, imaginary or otherwise, I’ve managed to meet some of the loveliest, friendliest, most outgoing people that you could possibly imagine. And not just met them once, mind you. I’ve been able to repeat the experiment with the same outcome a number of times and they’re consistently wonderful, these people. It’s amazing. And a little creepy, but a good creepy. Like Steve Buscemi.
It wasn’t something that I discovered just this year, either. I’d been meeting these types of people for years prior. So, this year was more of a reminder of how absurdly lucky I’ve been in the acquisition of friendships via the virtual world. As just a few examples of this year’s tally:
This person and her non-husband force-fed me alcohol in D.C.
This person and her ridiculously spectacular family allowed (encouraged, even!) me to freeload for days in their little slice of heaven.
These people advocated, nay demanded, that I enjoy myself internationally through the consumption of booze and a bowl full of myocardial infarction (poutine).
And also? Not once was I sexually assaulted. Not even groped. No roofies slipped casually into my Harvey Wallbanger. No waking up in a tub full of ice, exactly one kidney lighter. No scalding tear-filled showers spent trying to wash away the shame. A good year by any standard.
As for communities being joined or cultivated in the coming year, the group that I climb with is becoming a pretty tight-nit conglomeration of slightly off kilter personalities with mild streaks of recklessness. So, there’s that. Also, I plan on continuing to hike this part of the world into oblivion with a few super groovy clusters of people. One of them is led by a dude who I can most easily describe as a nature-loving masochist anarchist, because he leads really strenuous excursions, during which he regales anyone within earshot about the benefits of forest fires and the inherent evil of capitalism’s ability to corrupt. He’s the best. The point is that my community cup runneth over and will likely continue runnething over unless I find a bigger cup.
Sir @ December 7, 2010