Posted by Racer on August 26, 2004, at 10:56:21
In reply to Double-barreled therapists, posted by partlycloudy on August 26, 2004, at 8:14:55
>
> I'm the most fortunate woman in the world.
>
This is a bit of a tangent, but it's something that I waffle with myself a lot about. "Oh, it's so pathetic, you sit at home, all alone, won't leave the house -- and feel better because some people you might not ever speak to IRL are nice to you?" Then I realize that this is the boon of the internet, as well as it's very real downside: yeah, some people can get to where they 'mistake' this for real life, but it's also possible for a lot of us here to find something we just plain ain't capable of finding in real life.For me, in person, it's so deeply internalized that I *need* to hide myself in order to survive, that I really never show what you guys see every post to anyone who hasn't known me long enough to get past The Great OZ to see the little Racer behind the curtain. Yeah, it's easier now than it was 20 years ago to remind myself to learn to show this me to people when I can manage it, but you know what? It's still easier still to form a more 'real' bond for me with people I've met in writing or via telephone first.
(My evil-twin/soulmate/is it justifiable homicide/husband and I met online, by the way. Then telephone. Finally met face to face and I knew on the second face to face that this was the man I was *meant* to marry. Every second that I don't want to throttle him and many seconds that I do, I still feel that way about him. Maybe it's what Dinah said elsewhere: despite the costs, the benefits are worth it.)
So, we're all very, very fortunate we found our little tribe here.
As for the other stuff, I kinda don't think you really *need* anyone to chuff you up, because it sounds as if you're really and truly chuffing yourself on it and that's what's most magically satisfying.
So, my other reason for adding in: after teaching my first section of Adult Ed Basic Computer class some years back, I went to the local stationary store and bought those gold stars! After that, at least once in every first or second class session, *someone* would get a gold star stuck on his or her forehead during the first half of the class. That, and figuring out that the best first lesson for most of the students was "Open MS Paint and use the mouse to write your name" because then I could reassure them from the get go that the first day of kindergarten that pencil felt just as alien, but it was so long ago they couldn't remember. The mouse would feel natural before they knew it, just like that pencil does now. Those were really the two things I think I am still most proud of as a teacher -- finding a solution to a real but amorphous kinda issue in those classes.
OK. Done now.
Nope. Not a wink. How could you tell? Think my therapist will notice today?
poster:Racer
thread:382472
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040821/msgs/382527.html