May 31, 2013
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Thanks, You Magnificent Weirdos
"Why isn't she eating right?" I read her blog, shaking my head. It's June 2004, and I've been pulled on Xanga by my annoying brothers. One of them has befriended some weird girl with an all-black Xanga background and lots of issues, and I'm annoyed by her blog. I leave a long meandering comment on how her situation could be fixed, and she tells me it's not that easy. Strange.
I'm in grad school, and my friends fall into three categories: Christians, intellectuals, and athletes. I'm busy all the time, and my brain is stretching and breaking, trying to go ever deeper into the mysteries of data and mathematics. And now here are all these people who are completely different than me, obsessed with music I've never heard, art I've never seen. I know I'm the weird one to most, but it's all so strange to me.
It's 2008, and I finally decide to embrace it all. Try to widen my blog's appeal, visit people who aren't Christians within 5 years of my age (that used to be my rule for adding new friends, heh), see just how many people I can relate to and connect with. Fewer attempts to leave helpful comments, more attempts just to listen and learn. And I find myself talking to people I'd never have chatted with in real life. Sometimes there are amazing leaps as I and they cross social class and color and age and gender and have wonderful moments of connection and understanding. Other times, someone gives up and walks away.
But I find myself growing empathy and caring for so many people, realizing that people are not so hard to understand after all. It's a funny thing, hoping that Susan's boyfriend will understand her before it's too late, or that Sarah's parents will ease up just a little bit before they lose their daughter forever, or wondering if Josh will be able to make that trip he's saving for...and realizing that Susan, Sarah, and Josh are just pixels on a page, who I've never met, but who I care deeply about.
And so I sit here in 2013, far away from grad school, the same, but different. Thanks, you magnificent weirdos, for letting me eavesdrop and ask and chat your ear off. Thanks for introducing me to how you live, love, and feel, for having me as a guest in your lives. You challenged me and argued with me, and it was good, and we both were often the better for it. If this is the end, there have been plenty of fish along the journey. So long, and may you be blessed and better off for it all.
Comments (28)
so long for now... keep challenging your self
Admit it, I was your favorite.
Wait, who are you again? Heh.
Happy trails dude.
That was beautiful
I still remember the first post of yours I commented on... I don't think I commented on many, but I remember that one because I specifically related... Online crush or something of that nature... lol.
We'll see how this turns out... Hope this isn't the end... If I can't blog on xanga I'll definitely read up on my subs.
Beautifully written, and so true how this site has introduced us to people very different from ourselves. Well, not only introduced us... but also helped us forge long lasting friendships.
It's definitely been an eye-opening journey, and I'll always remember you as the first person who really hooked me into this site and the first to leave me a comment on one of my posts.
Good times.
All the best to you and yours!
Aww John! - See you on facebook, and yahoo! <3
xanga has been a great tool for empathy for all of us. It's hard not to grow to love the people who show you their most vulnerable moments.
See you on facebook
May
that's one thing about xanga--people let you into their lives
i have always thought it would be here, like a best friend is always there
huh, the older i get and the more i interact with people the more people just confuse the crap out of me and piss me off.
I definitely do not know where you come from with a statement about people not being hard to understand.
You're welcome. And thank you for filling hours of my time with entertaining prose.
How saddening, that with Xanga's demise I am finding wonderful people and I may not have the time to truly know them. This is the first I have seen of your blog. How many wonderful people are flourished throughout this site and I've not had the pleasure?
You've summed up the essence of Xanga, and my experiences with it, perfectly.
well said...I agree.
It was good getting to know you and meeting you, thanks to Xanga. Let's see what happens next.
I am grateful to have met you through xanga, I think I met you in person before I even know about your blog and you were so easy to talk with! and you got a hearty laughter!
Why can't everyone stop saying goodbye...? Bunch of drama queens! ::Humph::
The weirdos make one heck of a community
Man, I can't imagine that i'll not be reading anymore of your posts/ramblings come July!
Your a fantastic writer but i guess you already know that!
I WILL MISS YOU! xoxo
Yeh this just sucks.....I have only been on xanga for about 18 months and I already miss it. It took me years to find a few crazies that I could identify with now they will all be spread out across the interwebs
Guess I will just start my search again..... Thanks to those that i found and lightened my twilight life. Cheers and long life to you all.
Pity to discover you not that Xanga is shutting down. You seem to be a great writer and our paths never crossed on Xanga before.
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I'm not crying and I am not eating chocolate. at all. I'm fine... it's fine. everything's fine!
I don't know you REALLY well, but I have been following you for a long time.
One of the true gentlemen here on xanga.
You have become a great friend to me. Thank you for breaking your five year rule.
You'd laugh at how seriously I kept that rule, @boxedwine - , back in the old days, and it was closer to a 3 year rule. I once agonized for a week about whether to subscribe to someone who was *gasp* 5 years younger than me. :p
You have been a good friend as well. I hope after the move, we are able to keep up in person, if not through FB or some blog somewhere (redone here or somewhere else).
Good times, good times...amazing how one website lent itself to so many people having so many different experiences that are still somehow rather similar. Cheers, to this journey we call life!
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