While tinkering with something on the internet this evening - and shaking my head at my own idiocy when it comes to not only finding rabbit holes, but actively digging them - I started reading old blog posts. Snapshots of my life from years gone by.
While reading, I happened upon a post from the distant past about a new friend I had made on the internet, and how rarely that seemed to happen any more. I smiled, and wished I could step back and time and reassure myself that no - it still doesn’t happen - all these years later.
It got me thinking - wondering really - about the old friend - so I pulled on my pretend backpack and set off across the World Wide Web to perhaps find them. A few minutes later I met a “domain expired” page, and my heart sank. The internet equivalent of turning up at your best friend’s house to discover their house boarded up.
A voice on my shoulder whispered words to the effect of “shouldn’t their blog still live on a subdomain?” - so I tried out a few different versions of their name. On the third try, the once mighty Wordpress must have felt sorry for me, and in the manner of a postman that used to deliver post to the address I was trying, suggested I try the address written on a scrap of paper handed to me.
And that’s how their goodbye message appeared on my screen. A wonderfully written post about their blogging journey - sharing thoughts, stories and adventures - that had come to it’s natural conclusion.
My heart didn’t so much sink, as audibly thump into the floor.
I continued reading, and got a bit emotional. I was mentioned - in the final post that nobody could see any more. Even though neither of us had reached out for quite some time, I had not been forgotten.
Of course then I set about finding a way - any way - to let them know I had read their words. To let them know they will be missed. To let them know that I had not forgotten either. I received word back a few minutes later, and began pulling myself back together.
I’m a silly sod sometimes.
It has got me thinking though - about how rare it is to find a friend on the internet these days - and how much we should protect, cherish, and nurture it when it happens. As the speed of everything increases, and as so many draws for our attention surround us, it seems to have become increasingly rare for anybody to notice anyone any more.
We’re all one click away from being forgotten. One click away from being swallowed in the torrent that passes on each side of the islands we stand upon.
You know the funny thing? The “last post” was posted today - on the very day that I happened to go looking. When I realised, I smiled.
Serendipity is a wonderful thing.