Twitter, "IRL"

Today I met one of my very first Twitter friends. Bob Knorpp (@TheBeanCast) and I connected via the Superbowl in 2009 (so it's coincidentally appropriate timing to meet now, almost exactly two years later).

That day, the 2009 Superbowl, was the day I fell in love with Twitter. All it took was the Superbowl ads hashtag, one experience with like-minded people connecting in real-time around the world, and I was hooked. I remember my husband regarding me bemusedly at the time as I kept telling him, "I am having so much FUN!" He had no idea. He still has no idea.

Since that day, I've been an absolute Twitter fanatic. I can say, without reservation, that Twitter is the one (non-human) thing that has added the single most value to my life. Nothing else comes close.

The people I meet and the things I learn on a daily basis enrich my life in ways I never could have anticipated. Two years ago the idea of heading into a room full of strangers would have terrified me. Now, it's one of my favorite things to do. I know there's a good chance one of my Twitter connections will be there, and I have never, not once, met anyone who was put off by being approached and asked, "Are you (insert Twitter handle here)?"

And even if I don't recognize anyone in the sea of strangers, thanks to Twitter and the ice-breaking practice it has afforded me, I'm no longer afraid to jump into a conversation, to approach someone and introduce myself.

People who dismiss Twitter as a place where you can learn what your coworkers ate for breakfast are missing out on an incredible relationship-building tool.

Maybe if you're advanced in your career and already well connected (or a famous Seth Godin), then Twitter would be a drain on your time. But if you're starting out in the world, unsure of yourself, looking to meet interesting people in an open, low-risk space, I honestly can't imagine a better place than Twitter.

Bob up there is quite possibly embarrassed to have inspired such a whimsical post, but his sudden "IRL"itude was just the impetus for a fit of reflective appreciation. Though he was among the first, he is one of dozens of people I've connected with since that Superbowl.

This state, this city, this neighborhood – every part of my environment – is enhanced by the people who share it. I'm lucky to share it with such a kind, generous, and welcoming community. And I'm even luckier to know who that community is.

I can't imagine what it's like for people who don't have that feeling of connectedness.