Sunday, May 12, 2013

One world?


Ok, ‘rantish’ post alert! :P

Around this time nine years ago, I posted this entry in my earlier blog, some of you might have read it already. Funny how a lot of it, no almost all of it, still holds good. I’ve inserted my notes inline – kind of like walking through the experience with thoughts on it today.

A world apart

If age is in the mind, then the Internet has given this adage a whole new meaning. In the online world, despite age differences, there's a certain commonness. Take blogging for example. We visit each other, we talk, we laugh, cry, express ourselves, react; we have different sensibilities and points of view, but still bound together. There's something in it that makes us come to this world each day (ok, maybe not every day) with renewed vigour. You're down under, away from the blog for a few days, your fingers begin to itch (This might’ve reduced a bit – what with other things to keep us busy, FB, Twitter etc). You want to come back and make that connection with the rest of the online world (mostly true, right? Some of us still feel that need). It's amazing. Imagine if all of us had met at a party, say a real one. I’m sure in no time, we’d have broken up in small groups based on say, age or interests. Right? But here it's different. Here, you never age (ok, maybe these days we’re more aware of that; we tend to write things more relevant to our age; especially with young students and single folks who talk more about their relationships and insecurities). Even though you age physically, you're never too young or old to say something. There've been times I've gone through the 'by now cliched' quarter life crisis ( Ha ha, maybe it’s now time to change that to the even more clichéd ‘MID-LIFE’ crisis. Nah, I’m kidding), I have contemplated staying away from this online universe for a while, come to terms with who I really am (Yeah, there was a period when I was grappling with this thing. I was new to this experience and used to wonder about my real identity, and let me confess, have said stupid things to upset people on- and off-line. Thankfully, the picture is much clearer today). But like someone mentioned the other day, you are who you are, no matter where - online or offline. It shouldn't matter. Really, it shouldn't (Holds good today as well, only difference is, the online world has become a more acceptable sphere of interaction with the advent of social networking. I’m not really sure if we’ll reach saturation there, but for now that’s how it seems ).

I have friends outside the online world. I have a family that I love and care about a lot. Yet, there's also this small place where I go to unwind. I don't visit every day, my day job doesn't allow me to (Sigh, we all know that today the lines have almost blurred. One can be online 24/7 even when one’s not online. There is just too much bandwidth, both on computers and on mobile devices, right?). But gradually as I get older in this world of user names and comment boxes, I realize, this world is here to stay as well. I always wondered about a parallel world. What better example than this? It's a great place to be. And you guys are great friends to be with. (This more or less remains, though the circle is much smaller now. And I feel much older among the current crop ;-))

I like it here. And I love you guys. In my mind's eye? This world is sure as hell young and beautiful. And I hope I'll never leave here. (Well, what can I say? I still hope…though I’m not as sure as I was back then.)

***
PS: Looks like I had a lot of thoughts  ;-)

21 comments:

Privy Trifles said...

I am surprised how this is till very relevant and yes I agree to most of that you have to say :)

Believe me I have also found some wonderful friends online and its been a wonderful pleasure to have met you too!!

Not to mention your scary stories which have also haunted me at nights....

phatichar said...

Me: True. Thanks for reading :)

Wings of Harmony said...

Ah, at least you have made an effort to let people know, that you are taking an off. I just disappear. -_-"

phatichar said...

MSM: There are no hard 'n fast rules :), it's your space after all.

Tongue-fu Lady said...

I think you just said it out loud what's in everyone's mind. :)

phatichar said...

TFL: Ek hi thali ke chatte-batte 'n all that, huh? :P

KK said...

You said it so well that I have nothing to add by way of comments. And not really sure, but at 23, I think I am going through a quarter life crisis myself. But thats my bullshit, I will deal with it somehow.

One more bookmark. Whenever someone asks me why I blog, this is the link I am gonna show them.

Kanthu said...

This one is even more better with all the comments. I imagined 2 phatichars narrating it. :-)

Not only age, this online world overcomes everything, sex, religion, region, race and all. But sadly, many a times it even causes virtual wars and outrages with all the above mentioned things.

phatichar said...

KK: Thanks, buddy. Touched. Yes, you will deal with it, like how I did, like how everybody does. It's a whole new 'small' world ;-)

phatichar said...

Kanthu: Yes, one can't be too careful, even in this faceless medium where one can't really touch or feel the other person. But still we can touch and feel one another in a way no other medium can. Thanks. :)

Keirthana said...

Feels so relevant, maybe not to the word but your notes rounded and delivered the corrected version :)

Online world is fascinating but sadly it is only virtual and we will do good to keep that in mind how much ever we indulge.

Until later,
Keirthana :)

Uma said...

Rings so true for me too, all of it.
I'm glad to be visiting this space again :-)

phatichar said...

Keirthana: Hmmm.. :)

Uma: Glad to have you back as well.:)

Erratic Thoughts said...

Champ, this space gets interesting every single day :)
Your thoughts and the comments on them and then your individual reply to each comment..all interesting stuff...really, it all adds up to this space :)
Oh! I wish you never leave here too...10 years and you are still going great guns :)
Hmm sure it's a fascinating parallel world...you take what's good in it and leave the rest be because we are already live in a complex world…
But Addictions always have adverse effects so it will do us good not to get addicted to this online world :)

Anonymous said...

So many years gone by and still most of it, actually all of it, holds true. Age is probably really in the mind. But sometimes I do feel, the online personas are slightly different from what we really are.

Dwiti R said...

Looks like a Revised edition... V2.0

phatichar said...

ET: Agree :)...and yeah, will try to be around as long as possible.

GBTP: But that is not really about a changed persona. I feel we express ourselves better in the online world, hence truer to our 'real' self, if you ask me. More often than not, our offline versions are doctored. Not everybody, but yeah..many of us. For several reasons, each personal. :)

Dwiti: Of course it is.. :)

Visha said...

There will be fewer edits after 10 more years :)

phatichar said...

Visha, or perhaps there won't be a post at all :P

Aditi Ray said...

haha! once in a while I read my old diaries and wonder 'I used to think so much back then!' haha...
it feels good visiting the "old-me" ! :D

phatichar said...

Aditi: :P Yeah..