I was playing around in the referral logs (another exciting Friday night – who needs a date when there is technology to while away the hours?) and I noticed one of the referrals was a Google query. (Tangent: My blog is Google-able — I had no idea! I’m almost as excited about this as I was about seeing my name in the phone book for the first time. It gives me such a feeling of legitimacy. I’m an official denizen of cyberland now – my blog is on Google!)
So anyway, I clicked on the link, and it shows the Google search return, including the keywords. Someone had keyed in “lonely mommies ottawa ontario.” This really struck a chord with me, and I’ve been thinking about it all weekend. Isn’t the Internet truly amazing? You’re having a rough night, you really just want someone to talk to, so you key a few words into the search engine and see what comes up. (Beloved, realist that he is, suggested that perhaps the person was looking for lonely mommies for scurrilous reasons, but I chose to eschew that possibility.)
I’ve met some of my very best friends through the Internet. A few of us going through IVF treatments met on a messageboard, and decided to go out for dinner one night. I remember being so nervous – meeting people I met on the the Web seemed risky and impetuous. Fast forward four years and there are more than 20 of us in a loose online playgroup stretching through four provinces and two states, all of us having travelled the infertility highway and come out the other side, whether by assisted reproductive technology, adoption or surprise. Aside from exchanging e-mails, laughs and parenting tips, those of us who live in the same city get together regularly with and without the kids. These women have completely changed my life and I can’t imagine a day going by without reaching out to them, or being touched by them.
Who would have guessed your life could be changed by what pops out of a search engine one night, when you are overwhelmed and alone and needing a friend?
Categories: infertility
Oh my… blinks away tears from laughing so hard. Dearest DG… not to rain on your parade, but uhhh I think beloved was right.
I do however agree about your interent/friend portion. I have met a group of guys online every Sunday night at 8:00 pm for the last 3 years. I have only met a couple of them in r/l, but have spent a great deal of time talking with them all.
CONGRATS on being Googled!!! But I do have to wonder if “lonely mommies ottawa ontario” isn’t some member of male species over-flowing with testosterone looking for a good MILF website. By George I think he found it!!!
Seriously, LOVE this entry, and being a proud member of your once ‘nervous to meet at dinner’ friends, I can’t agree with you more on not knowing how I would survive the days without you et al. in my life.
xo
Let’s just think about this for a minute. If somebody were looking hot monkey sex, do you really think “mom of two under three” is a good place to start? Thanks to the IVF, I didn’t even have to put out for baby #1! Although Nancy, I will take that characterization as a MILF and run with it…
xo Danigirl
Given how a wonderful group of women I have met over the internet have become such a huge part of my life I have to pass on a huuuuge congratulations at your inaugeral google!
The Mothership has landed! The Mothership has landed!
(Sorry, I couldn’t resist. TOO MUCH CAFFEINE….)
Another congrats on being googled, that’s a proud Leo moment ;), on being characterized as a MILF and dittoing (?) the nervousness about coming out of cyberspace into real life but oh so glad to have done it so as to meet you all!
LMAO @ Ann… dang, wish I would’ve thought of that earlier, would have made a great post title!
And of course, I’m happy to see my two multiple personality girlfriends come out and say hi on this post, too! If it was difficult for me the not-so-shy to take the risk and meet people in person, I can only imagine how agonizing it must have been for you.
xo Danigirl
You’ve arrived!! Congrats on the google… I have tears in my eyes. (sniff!)
I feel the same way about the Internet communities I’ve been a part of, the ones that have transcended cyberspace and become “real”.
Internet communities are truly an incredible social phenomenon. Mine was the Josh Groban messageboard in its early days. What an amazing community. It then spawned Grobanite for Charity (http://www.grobanitesforcharity.org), which just made me happy and proud to be a part of it. And I am still friends today with many of the people that I met through that messageboard. It’s a wonderful thing, I say. 🙂
Thanks for adding me to your ‘blogs worth reading’ list. I’m going to do the same!