Turning Strangers into Friends
April 29, 2008 | by Jennifer Gniadecki | Filed Under Networking, Social Networking, The Everything Basket
My friend Dawn and I were at a bookstore over the weekend.
I was telling her how much I thought Jane Austen sucks. Yes, I am admitting this for the Internet to cache forever, I said a classic author writing about women in the 1800’s sucks. (Try and find this level of class on the other mommyblogs. I dare you.)
Halfway down the aisle there was this uber-hip mama complete with adorable baby in a wrap and the baby had this amazing, hand knitted little cap on her head. The uber-hip mama looked smart, adorable, and really friendly…she also looked like she was interested in our conversation - so I turned to her and said to my friend Dawn, “I bet she’ll tell you Jane Austen is great.”
Lo and behold, cool chica at the bookstore did, in fact, think Jane Austen was great.
I was trying to give my friend Dawn an idea of how badly my taste in books sucks some insight about my personality and taste in books and thought the hip-looking baby-wearer just looked like a Jane Austin person (she looked smart, had glasses, had a baby wrap…come on…you know she had to be smart…)
So this great exhange happened where I passed my business card, she passed her business card (she has a home based business…I told you she was smart!) and my friend Dawn realized she recognized her from her job as a receptionist at a dance studio.
Now, I don’t know about you but I’m not surprised when these things happen. So much coincidence that it would make your head spin is kind of my cross to bear in this world. If you find you’re lacking for weird, unbelievable things in your life, come visit. You can have some coffee in my kick-ass breakfast nook and eventually something phenomenally weird will happen to you, too!
Now, here is where it gets interesting. I send an email over to cool new girl (this is her official name until I get permission to talk about her behind her back on my blog) with some information including my twitter address. She has a Twitter account and adds me.
Back in the day before all this new fangled new media someone would have had to pick up a phone.
I don’t know about you, but picking up the phone is not how I like to get to know someone. I stink on the phone if I’ve never talked to you on the phone before. I will stutter, I will breathe funny, I will leave crappy voicemails. I have a very unhealthy relationship with the phone, and if it was just me and a phone call to make my book a best seller and me a superstar…I’d make the call…but I’d probably manage to flub the deal.
But now, in the bright and shiny world of web 2.0 moms, I can be all passive about connecting to people. Connect on Twitter, maybe schedule a playdate or coffee, nice, slow baby steps toward an acquaintance. You don’t have to just jump on someone’s phone and then feel this overwhelming need to be entertaining. The pressure is off and you can get to know people slowly, without the pressure.
Wow. I love the Internet more today than I did yesterday. It allows me to turn strangers into friends without having to rush the process.
Even better, my friend Dawn purchased the seven novel monster of a Jane Austen book and then insisted I read it first, since I haven’t read it since high school. Maybe being older and the type of person that bawls at Hallmark commercials (and Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints commercials - remember those?) will make me more receptive to women in the 1800’s that want to be independent but society is too busy crushing their spirits to notice they’re human. Or something.
How do you feel about Jane Austen? (Book opinions only, no movie reviews you heathens!)
p.s. I would like to thank True Soliloquy of She Just Had to Say It for the stellar idea of crossing things out. Yes, I know people have been doing it forever, and she uses the technique better more profusely than I do, but I never thought it could work in my blog until I saw her use it in hers.
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Comments
3 Responses to “Turning Strangers into Friends”
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Dang girl! A MILLION things to say about that, but I can’t cross through on comments. And if there IS a way to do it, I’m too stupid to figure it out.
*snort*
Soliloquy’s last blog post..I’ve Moved. I’m a Freak.
I’m sitting here with a babe on my boob, feeling about as hip and cool, about as intelligent, as a frozen fish stick. Then I read this. I start laughing so hard I startle the babe, who then sneezes baby boogers, slime, and milk all over me. Which makes me laugh all the more.
Thanks. You just made my day.
Oh, and yeah, you can mention me on your blog, no problemo.
Must get together for coffee, or a park day, or something. Must must must.
Rebecca’s last blog post..am giggles
I must admit. I do enjoy Jane Austin. And I am not hip or cool. I’d like to think, though, that I’m smart.
I noticed you are probably using the same plugin that I do for photos and in the same way too. Insert, add align class, move attribution to the bottom of the post.
Great minds think alike.
Daisy Olsen’s last blog post..Refocusing