Life in the Box

I wake up, turn on the computer and wander through my various emails and check into my writing sites while I'm there. "Oooo, I have a new reader from Romania!" Big deal, right? This little box has made us all, including me addicted to what we can say or see online. So what are we searching for? That 15 minutes of fame? That's a question I can't even answer for myself, but I think it has to do with a larger community of acceptance.

Our communities are getting larger but we don't have the time to actually communicate with those around us, so we do it the easy way by clicking and never seeing a face or hear a voice. It's also a great place to complain about bosses and friends who've hurt us - a more anonymous way maybe possibly.

So why do I write online? To work on my writing skills...after all it is my bread and butter right now, and I am a bit new to this job of writing every week for cash. But I write mostly because writing fascinates me. By changing words around you can change the meaning and idea of what you say, and what you write.

But that doesn't explain why I'm searching other sites out. I like to do research, so that is one of the reasons. But why do I spend time on sites that aren't productive and where people enjoy tearing people down with little or no real communication? We all know the sites where you can write something and 20 people respond with comments that aren't helpful or even sometimes hurtful, or how about those who are constantly emailing you games or things that fill the email box up by the end of the day. I know for some it is about the only good communication they get in a day, but why do I let myself get drawn into this???

For me the reason is people. Behind those notes and observations are real people who are mostly escaping for a while. This is like the imaginary world like a book for some and they can do it in "word bytes" not in huge chapters. I have cut back on my sites and those I interact with online, unless we're related of course, and those I let in are those I have come to care for and think about even when I'm not online. So why do you do it? Who are you out there in computerland?