The importance of making friends on Twitter

My friend Jane likes Blackpool. I’ve never been to Blackpool, I never want to go. Nothing about it appeals. I am a cat person, Jane prefers dogs. Jane enjoys cross-fit and running marathons. I’d rather go to Blackpool. Jane is firmly from the North and I am firmly from the South. We shouldn’t get on but we do, like a house on fire. We both like blogging, talking and wine. Not necessarily in that order and sometimes all at once. Jane and I met on twitter. People who don’t ‘get’ social media, find this hard to understand. The type of people who still say “blog-ging” as if practising a new foreign word. They are missing out.

We thought it would be hilarious to wear matching pyjamas. Jane’s husband – returning late to find two giddy women, a bottle of wine down, in matching PJs and a group of children running feral – less so.

Our first meeting was on the neutral territory of hotel in Rotherham. We’d told family where we were going and how long we would be. We met in a public place, just in case the other turned out to be a chap, in grubby trousers, carrying an axe, who’d been tweeting from his shed under a parent blogger pseudonym. In nearly 4 years of blogging, I’ve yet to meet a blogger who regularly carries an axe.

On June 20th from across the UK and beyond, bloggers will descend on a venue in the City of London for BritMums Live, they will laugh, drink wine and meet friends. Anyone looking in might be surprised to learn that this group of people, so at ease with one another, spend most of the year communicating via comment boxes or 140 characters. This is the power of social media. Of course, there will be ‘first-timers’ at BritMums Live. Nerves might be starting to kick in. The worry that they won’t know anyone, won’t have anyone to talk to. Trust me you will. That blog post where you left a long heart-felt comment, that blogger will find you and give you a hug. That person you tweet with, when you are both up at ridiculous o’clock with toddlers, they will want to meet you. There won’t be any small talk, because you already know each other, that’s the beauty of ‘social’ media. It really is social, the on-line translates to off-line. I love how much of yourself you can convey in 140 characters and how easy it is to establish who you resonate with.

If you aren’t going going to BritMums Live and there is a blogger or a tweeter near you, get in touch with them. I’ve made many friends via blogging. Taking the on-line off-line is rarely disappointing.

Jane has become one of my best friends in the world and I wouldn’t be without her.

Tell me about your twitter besties.

About Gemma M

Gemma blogs at Helloitsgemma, see link below She is an older not wiser, mother of one small boy. Gemma always has painted toe nails and enjoys cake.

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