Posted by Deneb on May 26, 2006, at 23:56:27
In reply to Re: on and on about it » Deneb, posted by pseudoname on May 26, 2006, at 10:31:28
> So I am *very* glad that you are still posting about it because that’s helpful to me. Otherwise I would think my persistent thoughts & feelings were just an overreaction and I should “move on”.
I'm glad I help. :-)
>
> Did you ever go to summer camp as a teen? I remember that after about a week, everyone said they felt like they had never lived anywhere else, that camp had been their whole lives.No, I've never been to summer camp.
I feel like I've been on Babble my entire life. LOL Yes, it feels that long, even though it's only been 14 months for me.
> And after 2 weeks, you’d have a moment where it was like camp was just a foreign blip, and your real life was elsewhere, and camp was imaginary.
Yes, that's exactly how I feel about the Babble trip. It feels imaginary...like it was all in my head. I'm back home and everything is just like it was before the trip.
I don't think I really left "Babble mode" the whole time I was on the trip. I posted everyday during my trip. It was strange, Babblers were right in front of me, but at times, they felt more real to me on the boards. Reading what they say seemed more natural to me than hearing what they say. I wasn't able to be Deneb completely in real life. A big part of me was missing in real life. I realized that meeting Babblers was terrific, but it wasn't enough. I *need* the boards. In many ways they are better than real life friends for me.
> ‘This American Life’ had an episode about summer camp, and a lot of adults look back on camp as still the purest, most authentic experience of their lives. I never had that at camp (not at all), but I think Toronto maybe had some parallels to that for you? Maybe not.
Yes, I think you are right. I'm not sure I was totally authentic. As I said before, I felt like a big part of me was missing in real life.
> People were a little different than I expected, but also very much like their online selves. Except you are much shyer in real life. So I'm glad I knew you a little through Babble first.
It's strange, but even though I've seen Babblers in real life, I still get into the habit of imagining them the way I did before I met them. I have to remind myself of how they really are in real life. I'm glad that I knew Babblers through Babble first too. I would have been intimidated otherwise. It was really good to know how Babblers think.
> I think it was different because people were so, so, relaxed & honest when we met, because we'd all been so exposed on Babble. That's a lot different than any other real-life get-togethers.
Yes, definitely. I liked that we all knew of each others' problems and weaknesses beforehand. With other people, I feel like I must hide my vulnerabilities and eccentricities. I liked being able to show vulnerabilities and eccentricities and know that people won't laugh at me or attack me.
Deneb*
poster:Deneb
thread:648680
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20060521/msgs/649182.html