Serendipity

You know the old saying about 'you don't know what you've got until it's gone'? Well, in today's world, that really holds true for most of us...because of all the technology that we have available to us. Cell phones, computers, the internet...etc. We don't think about it...99.9% of the time it's right there. We turn on the computer and we are connected right away with the world. Turn on our cell phones and we have instant access to anyone we wish or need to call.  Then 'poof' it's gone in an instant.  Wednesday evening, around 7 p.m., I'm on the computer, checking emails, reading things on my wall on Facebook, checking my Etsy store...one minute I was connected...and the next, no internet.  None.  Gone. We waited about an hour, thinking maybe the storm that had rolled through our area at about the same time had knocked something out temporarily, but after an hour and a half I called to find out if maybe so...

For all the years that I have been on the net, I always believed that dating via the internet was a bad idea. It's too easy to hide the truth of who you are, your intentions, even what you really look like. I still hold to that belief...but it's because I have lived the lie.  He and I met via Facebook, a friend of a friend of a friend and he approached me first. I was very reluctant to accept the friend request, but looking at his profile, he was disabled and looked honest enough...he had farmer's blood in him, like I do. I honestly thought that being that we shared the same basic traits...he'd be someone I'd like to know.  He wasn't handsome per se, but nor do I feel that I am all that great looking. We both are in our fifties, and we look our ages...weight has settled in as has the graying of our hair and even the wrinkles on our faces.   We began chatting via Yahoo messenger, first only for maybe 15 to 30 minutes a day...breaking the ice and starting to...

I found an interesting question this afternoon, that I thought I'd throw out there..."What did you do before there was internet?"  What a question, right? But really, what DID you do before the internet?  What did I do before getting on the internet...and that question made me think! The things that I can remember doing to replace the time that I spend online, included:  housework, reading, writing letters (by hand, not typed), crocheting, watching TV , spending more time outdoors...! Wow--right?  What does that say about my time now?  I still do most of those things, but in limited quantities.   What I don't do is read whatever book that I have at the moment during the day...that is saved for at night, to read in bed.   I haven't crocheted in years, and to be honest, most of my letters are now typed and printed from my computer vs writing them by hand. I don't watch much TV at all and when I do it's at night, or I watch TV programs on...