The internets fixed me
Slight exaggeration…
The excitement around the Blackhawks Stanley Cup win last night reminded me of when I lived in Rome the year Italy won the FIFA World Cup (2006).
The bread at the bakery next morning spelled out “Campioni del Mondo”!
You guys. I was such a fuddy duddy when I lived in Rome. Sigh. It’s kind of embarrassing to talk about.
I worked for an architect the summer of the World Cup. We were allowed to leave work to go watch the games. Can you believe that? I thought it was the most amazing thing ever! But every day and night, I did the same things – work, go home and eat, and volunteer at the cat shelter. Every. Damn. Night.
So when Italy won and there was an explosion of celebration in the streets (see July 9 post in links)? What was I doing? Oh, probably cleaning up cat poop. Or giving a cat medicine.
Because I am THAT cool.
Sigh.
I don’t regret how I spent my time in Italy. I traveled a lot. I saw so much. I made an amazing friend. But geesh. Was I anti-social OR WHAT? I worked in an office of young people from around the globe and what did I do at night? Volunteer. I hung out with that group ONCE. ONCE! The entire summer I was there.
Ugh. It kind of pains me to go back and read my old blog archives and just feel what a loser I was through my words.
Anyway.
In true blogger navel-gazing form, thinking about this now has made me realize how different I am. I am super social now. I have plans, most, if not all, days of the week.
What changed that?!
The internets. It has made it so much easier for me to connect with people!
Sigh! If only the internets would have been more accessible to me when I lived in Rome. Maybe I would have made more connections?
Nah. It would have been the same. Ha ha.*
I think I needed to go through that experience. So I can look back now and realize how much progress I have made. Ha.
Has anything caused you to have a major personality shift over the years?
*Although, feeling more connected to people back home might have given me the good feelings I needed to make connections in person.
Themocracy
Moving to Chicago definitely did that for me. I was pretty shy and reserved for most of my childhood and even through college, but moving to a brand new city where I only knew a couple people really forced me out of my shell. It was surprisingly easy since I started my first job with a group of people my age, also fresh out of college, so we all had the same lack of responsibilities and just went out and had fun. I learned to make conversation with anyone around me.
That said, now that I’m no longer in “new city, must make friends” mode, I don’t always try as hard when I’m around new people. I wouldn’t say I’ve totally reverted back to being shy and quiet, but I’m not constantly looking to add to my circle anymore. That’s not a bad thing, since it’s okay to be kind of selective about that 🙂
It’s definitely not a bad thing. I have an issue with WANTING ALL THE FRIENDS! (http://www.ilaxstudio.com/blog/2013/05/18/want-all-the-friends/) but that is actually not working out so well for me 😉 It’s just funny… I realized how fun being social is, when you do it in the right amount!
I do too, but then I also know that, realistically, I hang out with the same few people all the time. So, like anything else, it’s good in moderation 🙂
Ha! This just really makes me laugh. It’s so opposite of how you are now and I love that you were volunteering at a cat shelter. It’s fun to look back and see where we have been and where we are now. There’s so many times I look at my life and am surprised at how it has changed in such a short amount of time. Amazing…
Isn’t it crazy?! Makes me wonder what the future has in store!
Sounds like you had a very fulfilling time in Italy doing things that made you happy. Just because helping out poor kitties isn’t everyone’s idea of a great time doesn’t diminish that it was a good time for you.
I’ve never been too social– especially post Mexico and dealing with healing from an abusive relationship. I wish I was more social in Mexico and after- I just prefer to be alone with CB… After Mexico I’ve been trying to build a good group of friends and think I’m succeeding now 😉 the internets have certainly helped with that, pretty sure I wouldn’t know anyone if I didnt have the blog…
It was a good time for me. And that experience helped me grow a lot, too.
Isn’t it crazy how we meet everyone through our blogs?! It’s so cool 🙂
The Internet was a life saver for me! When I first moved to Chicago I had no friends and was having a really hard time figuring out how to make them. When I started my blog it all came naturally and FAST! Now I have peeps like you in my life! Internet FTW!
I think going to college and then transferring colleges forced me out of my shell a little bit. Not that I am overly shy, but I tend to be more reserved in large groups of people I don’t know. I do feel like that gave me a fresh start in terms of friends and that changed parts of my personality too! In a good way!
I’m still not social but the internet has definitely helped me! 🙂
Blogging and internet stuff is how I am finally meeting people here. I still don’t have any girlfriends that live close enough to hang out with randomly but hopefully that will happen soon too. Until then, thank you internet for keeping me sane.
my answer is corny. Having a kid. Changing into a dad totally refocused my life, what is important, and any show or movie that involves a child has the potential to make me want to cry! lol
What year were you in Rome? I was in England 1998 – 2001 and that’s when I really got on the internet. You were doing the cat thing and I was riding horses. Ha!
Ahhh! I bet your time in England was amazing! Have you been back since?
I lived in Rome Jan – Aug 2006 🙂
That’s a good way to look at your time in Rome…that it allowed you to be who you are today. I mean, even when I first met you I think we were both still kind of anti-social. And now look at us!!
I know, isn’t it crazy how much we have changed since our first running date in June 2009? Awww 🙂 Memories!
I find it hard to believe that you were anti-social! You are such a happy, outgoing, social butterfly everytime I see you!
I’d say Kevin helped my personality shift, but in a good way. He helped me become a more confident person and I’m sure in turn that made me more social as well.
Aww, thanks 😉
That is great! It sounds like you two bring out the best in each other 🙂
Hmmm… I don’t think the internet has changed me much. BUT, it has made it WAY easier to keep up with old/new friends and friends who do not live close by. It also help me meet a lot of cool people that like running too! Which makes me happy!!
So…what do you think it was about the internet that made this change? Was it easier to find people with common interests, easier to approach people, easier to keep in touch…? I’m genuinely curious.
I was thinking of you the other day because I have a “new” friend (that is half of a couple pair that P and I are friends with) and I get nervous sometimes that I’m going to do or say something to make her not like me. I actually thought, “This is way more stressful than dating!”
I think exaclty those things – easier to meet people with similar interests and get to know them FIRST before meeting in person. Then when you meet up, it’s like you skip the “getting to know” someone stuff (somewhat).
It is more stressful! Ha! We want to impress other women and make them like us, but I think it’s hard to know which side of yourself to show… like with my newer friends from my hood, do I act nice, or can I be snarky? Ha!
I have a hard time believing you weren’t the same person as now.
It’s true! I went through most of my schooling without close friends (or many friends)!
If anything I feel like I’ve gotten less social since college. It is probably because in college many friends closeby and have a lot of free time and now my friends are more scattered in location and have jobs/spouses/kids/etc. I still feel fulfilled in my friendships and busy though so it’s ok.
Aww, I’m sure the kitties appreciated your attention! I’m glad that making friends on the internets has made you happier, though. And go Blackhawks. 🙂
I was already a people person before I got online (which for the web, it will be 20 years next year). But I can give credit to the internet for making me more creative.
I’m a lot more cynical than I was ten years ago, which Harrison comments on frequently.
I think I would have been the same way in Rome. In fact, I was the same way in Paris! I was really uncomfortable being in situations that I couldn’t really control (Like, uh, when people are drinking), so I avoided hanging out with a lot of people in my program. I’m still not sure I would hang out with them now, but I would make a more concerted effort to make friends. Or maybe I just wouldn’t go again…. Aha!
That is interesting that you were the same way! I bet if we went back with the knowledge (ha? do we have that?) we have now, it would be different.