WWW.BFF

Do you know that we talk about all you guys on a regular basis? Yup. Made you paranoid now, huh?
Yes, at the HipMamaB/PetCobra house we talk about you guys like we talk about our families or IRL (in real life) friends. A normal dinner conversation may include things like “Oh, did you see Mia is crawling?” or “I’m really jealous of Whiff’s new Harley.” (ha, not to hard to guess which quote was from who) Some of our less tech savvy friends and relatives think it’s kinda strange that we reference our “friends” on a regular basis, but as we see it the scope of friendship has really changed due to The Internets.

When I was first pregnant, and totally obsessive, I found the “expecting club” message boards on IVillage. Pretty much it was a message board of 100+ woman, all due in March 2004, and all equally as obsessed with every twinge, pound and Dr’s appointment. One of the “things” you did on the board was find your “DDBs” (due date buddies) and that’s where I “met” Tiff, from Houston, who shared this glorious estimated arrival date of our first baby together. Every week we posted about topics such as “3/9ers – How much weight are we up now?” and “30 weeks! Only 10 more to go!” with the few other women also destined to birth their babies on March 9th. Well, Tiff and I sealed our bond when on March 2nd, we both delivered via c/sec. Now think about this. Here is this woman half way across the country who ovulated, had sex and conceived a baby boy at pretty much the exact same time as I did. Only something you could find on The Internets…really, not something you come across just walking down the streets of downtown San Diego.

The other interesting part is that Tiff and I really are a lot alike. We have the same parenting views, we both work, and both of our boys seem to have the exact same excruciatingly high energy levels.  Over the past 2 years, Tiff and I have really gotten close; we IM, we call each other – but we had never actually met. So does this make her less of a friend?

Think about it. We all regularly read intimate details about each others' lives. We know that Metro just got back from Vietnam, and Peter regularly keeps up to date on being a dad down under. We know more about each other than our "real life friends" do, and honestly we keep in better contact than some. But because we have never sat down and shared a babysitter and a beer together, does that not really make us “friends?”

What really got me thinking about all this is that Tiff and her brood are out here in San Diego this weekend and last night we met them for dinner. And I swear, it was just like seeing an old college buddy…

Here’s to all you interesting Internets folks – we hope to one day meet you all in a less electronic setting!

[Written by Beth, aka Mrs. Jason]

Comments

[kara]

"But because we have never sat down and shared a babysitter and a beer together, does that not really make us “friends?”"

When I started to blog, I was surprised to find people I really admire and consider to be friends. You, my friend, had me at the tanning mishap. Before that, I was a casual lurker at your site. Glad to see you at dadcentric- your very presence has made this place significantly more sassy!

[mo-wo]

Beth -- bang on.. hey was just wondering last week how many folks do I know in bloggerville who have done what I have. Have you referred to the folks we know as bloggers as friends to IRL people? And, how do we feel about it? Just fine, thanks, eh.

A bit unlike your testimonial here I especially like my blogging friends BECAUSE I don't see them, if that makes any sense. Has something to do with the level of honesty in the discourse and the overall comfort zone of confidence other interactions fail to offer me.

Now.. what the hell?? all the mamas are ON on the first night of Freaky Friday?? p-man was just laughing at me over my anxiety that it is too much to read, I'm not up to it! Damn, better get scrolling on..

[Melissa]

Your right. We do keep in contact with each other better than some IRL. But it also gets more on a personal level. I like that about blogging. I don't feel like it's any less of friendship just because we haven't shared a beer.

[Sassy]

I know more about what's going on in my internet friends lives than I do in my best friends life. Hell, I can't even remember her boyfriends name, yet I know all about the cervixs, uteri and sperm counts of my internet friends. Oh, and what they did last weekend. Being an infertile, I don't know what I'd do without others that understand what it's like. Some days I feel like I can't face my friends, but there's never a day that I can't talk to the internets.

[Lisa]

I've met some of my closest friends ever thru the internet. Even though we live all over the country, we do get together more often than I do with my IRL friends!!