07 April 2009

How Has Twitter Changed My Life

Seems like every day someone asks me about Twitter, They want to know what it is, what's it's purpose and basically what benefit it is to my life... Hmmmm that caused me to stop and really think...

Twitter is a place where you can come to the keyboard and rattle off a thought of 140 characters that thousands of people will read. That thought doesn't have to be a complete thought, it doesn't have to be a meaningful thought and it really doesn't even have to be a thought at all... just some rambling and ranting that came out of my mind and moved off my fingers....

No matter what it is, I find that somewhere, there is at least one person who identifies with that rambling and in that, we can have a conversation about it at lengeths other people may never understand.

I can come to twitter and write something deep and meaningful, fun and frivilous, wacky and way-out or just an expresssion of how I'm feeling at that exact moment and I can send it out for thousands to read. No may reply, no one may comment but sometimes just being able to write what I feel, no matter how ludicrous it may sounds somehow helps me be of the world.

I spend 5 our of 7 days totally alone. I am a SAHM. My 9 year old daughter is in school right now so besides the two dogs, I'm lone about 70% of the day. A person can go nuts without anyone to talk to, without anyone to validate their feelings but Twitter gives people like me an outlet to speak out.

I can come to Twitter, read a few messages and then start a conversation with someone. It doesnt have to be a long, drawn-out, earth shattering discussion, it can be about fabric, shoe heel size, the color of trees in Ohio or any other seemingly unimportant topic but for the other people who sent out the statement, someone who is much like me, looking for someone to speak with it can be a lifeline to the world.

Sometimes our short, out of no-where comments are merely ways of throwing out a lifeline, hoping that another individual is on the other end, will bite and then will chat with us for a few minutes... When we throw out the lifeline it's not that we need someone to save us, to save our lives but we need some type of human interaction, we need to be of the world and to have adult conversation that verifies we are alive and in the woreld with a purpose.

I am married to a wonderful man, I have wonderful children and I have friends but some days it's nice to have basic conversations with strangers just for human interaction. Twitter has much value beyond promoting brands, building business, building business contacts or networking, it has value in just reinforcing that as humans we continue to have the need to interact with people on a daily basis, to reinforce our believe that we are needed and necessary and to be validated. Some days we may rant or rave about an injustice and its nice to know that at least 1 other person feels that same way at that exact moment and therefore they can validate how you feel, allowing you to deal with it an move on.

Yes, Twitter has many uses in my life but it has changed it because in 140 characters I can become of the world again whenever I choose and then simply go back into my own world until I'm ready to come out again!

I love Twitter and the folks who use it are a community of friends, neighbors, relatives, therapists, doctor, lawyers, teachers, co-horts, rivalries etc.... we all need each other somehow....

1 comment:

Marilyn said...

Hi Peg,
I agree with you totally about Twitter. I am not gregarious or outgoing by nature, but do love to "visit" with people. Twitter gives you the option of jumping in and out of conversations at will. I absolutely love Twitter....and, am so glad that we follow each other!
Marilyn
Casual Cottage