When I was younger I felt like a prude. People would laugh at jokes I didn’t think were funny or get excited to do things I didn’t think were fun. Sometimes I just felt out of place. I know I wasn’t the only one. But I also know that I was really serious.
Why can’t I just let go and have fun like the other kids?
I wondered if I should have been born 50 years ago? Then I wouldn’t feel so out of place, right?
Well, now that I’m much older there are plenty of times that I still feel out of place and too serious for social settings. But there’s something about 2015 that I never would have had in 1965, and it’s got me feeling really good about being who I am, right where I am, in 2015. The Internet.
What a Web!
When I was in 8th grade I volunteered to be one of two kids to go to a workshop about this new thing that had to do with computers called the “World Wide Web.” Honestly, I had very little interest in computers, I just wanted to get out of school for a day and have this special opportunity…because I wanted to be special. The whole workshop explaining how information could be shared with other computers all over the globe was beyond my comprehension. I stared at the green screen all day, thinking that one of my techy friends should have been there in my place. They tried to explain how the WWW would change the world, but I didn’t get it. I was bored and had no idea how this computer deal would mean much to me.
I get it now!
Seriously. I know a lot of people are unimpressed with social media and its many negative effects (to say the least). It is certainly true that I can get distracted by it and start comparing my life with the pictures and stories others tell. I need mindful boundaries for how I use and process it.
But social media has given me the opportunity to stay connected with kindred spirits around the world. Friends both across the street and around the world in Australia, Turkey, Malaysia, Moldova and England to name a few. I enjoy thinking of them, praying for them and interacting with them. Staying in touch with such friends helps me remember that I am a small dot on a much bigger picture. But even small dots can have a voice on the Internet and make a difference.
Social media has been the primary vehicle through which I publish writings and use my voice the past year. It’s fun to share my heart with others on a regular basis without having to wait for someone to choose me. “Pick yourself,” says forward thinker and bestselling author Seth Godin. Indeed. Pick yourself and then let others decide if they want to listen to what you have to say.
And then there’s Twitter. Dear Twitter. It took me a LONG time to get Twitter. 
But I sure do now! Yesterday Her View From Home published my article, “An Open Letter To Sandi Patty” (read it here). I tweeted (posted) the article and tagged Sandi Patty. And then she retweeted it, indicating the article made her tear up. I could have written a letter to a special influencer in my life in 1965 and they may or may not get it and may or may not read it. I could have written a letter to the editor and it may or may not be read by others. But on Twitter you know. You have direct access to people who otherwise seem out of reach. “Star” status doesn’t mean the same thing it did 20 years ago. I know normal people are getting attention for minimal things, but for the most part, social media can help us remember that we’re all human. Followers or not, likes or not, we’re all accessible and can have an impact on one another.
I am so grateful that I could share my love with someone who was a large influence on the formation of my voice. I’m grateful I could bless her hear heart by using the voice of my heart, expressed on the Internet.