Online relationships and Finding Myself in Britain selfies

Me and NicTheVic on the day my book-baby arrived. Without him there would have been no story to tell!

One thing I love about our socially connected online world is the proliferation of photographs from my friends. So I was delighted when I started to see selfies with my book-baby pop up online – unbidden. These make me happy on so many levels – not only seeing Finding Myself in Britain out there in the world, but mainly seeing the faces of people I’ve known either in person or those I’ve met online.

So many people talk about “real” relationships in contrast to those online. I find that frustrating, for I have real relationships with people I’ve never met in person. For instance, I’m part of an online writer’s group where we interact with each other daily in a structured but free way, and the support and love I’ve felt and witnessed there takes my breath away. Another group I love is the Woman Alive book club Facebook group – a place where we discuss books and characters and what we’re reading. I love to see friendships develop over a shared love of reading. And I love seeing people interact with my Facebook posts and the connections and conversations that occur.

Yes, we need to exercise caution and discretion when meeting people online, and yes, we can become so obsessed with our social-media likes and retweets and Instagram hearts that we ignore the family and friends who surround us in person (we, for instance, have a no-phone rule at our dinner table). But if we exercise discernment as we engage in the online conversations, we can gain friendship, camaraderie, wisdom, and some lovely selfies with our book-baby.

Do you have Finding Myself in Britain? I’d love to see your selfie – please include your face, and not just the book!

Jo Saxton, who lives a parallel life in my hometown. Our chapter in Finding Myself in Britain is one of my favorites.

Cathy Madavan’s blurb on my book rocked my world – I didn’t realize just how developed were my practices of celebrations until she pointed it out.

Steve and Diane Bjorkman are lovely friends who live in California. Steve’s amazing “A Slice of Pye” artwork appears at the back of FMIB.

Liz Cook and I love books and have lived in each other’s countries at various times.

Amy Young – another Amy, another oversees lover of life! I’ll forgive her the Denver Broncos passion.

Michael Gibson from Northern Ireland also loves books and American football – sadly, he supports the Miami Dolphins but maybe one day he’ll see the light and move allegiance to the Minnesota Vikings.

A Skype call photo of Alex Ward’s mum and son. I love this on so many levels. Alex was one of my answers to prayer in Epsom when I was longing for friends. She’s moved around a lot since then, from the Netherlands to Budapest and now to Texas.