This is a chapter from my third book called Love letters
Friends are the people that I connect with online and in real life. The staff at the mini mart that I go to every morning. The staff at the doubles shop who must start cooking and preparing in the wee hours of the morning. The staff at the gyro place who are super friendly. The cafe with the books. The clinic and all the places that I frequent in person. I used to have some friends in school. There was one person that took all the same courses with me in university. There were a few of us who would sit in the back of the cafeteria in university. Some of us played tennis and the loser had to buy pizza. I had some work friends at the places I worked when I worked.
Now I mostly live online and most of my socialisation happens there and I get to interact with the world there. This might seem like a boring and lonely life to some but it is what I know and feel comfortable with. I have met some awesome people on the forums. We get to ask curious questions, share our lives and progress and struggles, learn new things and support one another. We come from different backgrounds and places and circumstances but through the power of technology we are able to connect with each other. Me and one person from the forum chat almost everyday.
I do not know who most of my readers are. Some have left comments and some have messaged and emailed. I consider my readers my friends. You give of your time and attention to listen to my outpourings. I know that I strayed from my tech beginnings on the blog and I am writing mostly on life and philosophy. But to understand tech we must also understand life. When I resume writing my coding book then writing will return to tech. I have a few chapters in this book related to technology. Technology is just a tool and enabler and much of the work that we have to do to transform the world is human and social impacted related to processes.
Irish poet William Butler Yeats once said, "There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met." I do not know where my life will take me but I aim to treat every person I interact with online and in real life as a friend. We are all part of the same human family and we have more in common than we might think. We can create a more connected, compassionate, and understanding society where everyone feels welcome and valued. To all my friends now and in the future, I love you.
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