Which brings me to why I am writing this now. YouTube.
YouTube has really provided a community of people that are so diverse and interesting. In this community I have found people that I consider some of the best friends I have ever had.
Many might scoff at this statement. I can't tell you how many time people have given me odd looks when I say that i have friends I met online.
I had a pretty lonely/down day yesterday. I went to sushi with two aerospace girlfriends of mine. We talked and caught up then I went home. It was in that short lunch that I just realized how shallow all of my friendships at college seem to be. How people I met online are more real to me than those I see almost everyday. This really is a hard thing to convey to people who haven't had the experiences like I have. The people i have met through Youtube know me. they love me. They accept me for all of my flaws. The relationships made online are given a bad wrap in my opinion. Many still have the mindset that every person you meet online is a rapest or a sex offender. People are layered differently than that. Of course there are creepers online, I have run into one or two myself, but honestly the so many amazing and interesting people I have met totally outweighs the creepers.
My Classy Ladies are a group of my youtube friends. The majority of the Classy Ladies are from Vlogtag. Most of them I have known almost three years. knowing people that long really does strengthen your bonds with people. So does the distance. I will stand by the statement "Awesome is only stilted by distance" because it's true.
Last year I went to the Northwest Youtube Gathering, where I got to meet a lot of my online friends IRL for the first time. I was so nervous about not clicking with them like i did online. That it would be awkward and just uncomfortable. It was so far from that. I wish I could truly say how amazing it was. Being with this group of people who i spent all nighters with. Who I cried with. Who were so very much apart of my life regardless of the distance. It truly was like coming home to your best friends.
Just two weeks ago, was VidCon. It was a second meetup for all of us. it was slightly different from the NWYTG. We knew we worked so very well together. It felt like i had literally just hung out with them a week before.
So last night was a pretty bad night for me. I just felt so lonely and hopeless because I couldnt call up the group of my best friends to go have a pizza with me. These people who i met through a screen. In a Virtual world. Have become more physical to me than those I have met in the physical world.
I know it all sounds probably crazy, but I thought about it a lot last night. I am so lucky to have such an amazing group of friends. I wish that they were always in my life, but the bottom line, they cant. That is something I keep trying to be okay with. I dont know if I ever will be. I will always wish that I could see them more, but I will always beable to have them in my life. That is how our friendship started anyway. Logging on and a single "bloop".
I miss you guys so very much. I am so happy to have you in my life, virtual or physical. I am so happy that our friendship goes beyond majors, grades, talents, etc, etc. I am surrounded by people who I do call friends but i know that the are all based off of gaining something or being something. It is so draining. I HATE IT. I am glad to know what true friendships are. And I am glad that you are apart of it.
So many hearts, hugs and love,
Mama Kate
*note* i do have really amazing friends i have met in the physical life (like ellen, jessie, kyle, george...) But it is a very small group. And the group that i have met in virtual life is far larger.
