Connection Affection

Four months ago, in February, I got sick. Really sick. Like the kind of sick you can't work for months and you have to lay in bed a lot and your family seems really worried you're going to die. I lost 30 pounds and wasn't sure I was going to survive, but guess what? I did!

I know some people don't see the value of social media; I know when I was laying in bed, the idea of chatting on twitter was the last thing on my mind. However, what was on my mind were the caring friends I've made through AR and twitter who tracked me down to find out why I was MIA (missing in action). People like George Tallabus, Mike Mueller, Diane Guercio and Lesley Lambert. These social media friends of mine knew something must be wrong and wanted to make sure I was okay. I wasn't checking in or returning calls or emails much, but just hearing a voice mail or reading an email from these distant friends worried and wishing me well made such a big impact on me when I was feeling so poorly.

Mike Mueller's tagline is "Are We Connected," and if you think about it, that says a lot about human nature and how it plays into social media. We can chat about a listing appointment on twitter, post a local market update on Active rain, or write on someone's wall in FaceBook, and, at first blush, these seem like simple, non-emotional networking activities. However, I can say from my own experience that indeed, when connection occurs, affection results.

Social media is like having a pen pal--or a bunch of pen pals--that you resonate with, care about, laugh with, and enjoy developing a kind of mutual supportive relationship with. I used to harass my kids about playing on MySpace too much, and now they laugh at me as I log onto FaceBook. There is an affection connection that can't be denied.

Now that I'm well on my way to recovery, I realize how important having a connection with the outside world really is. But not any connection. I believe that we are drawn to people who we "click" with for a reason. Call it the law of attraction, or say that birds of a feather flock together...whatever it is, it's real and alive in social media land. There are those certain people whose posts you like to read, whose twitter message makes you smile, and whose FaceBook entries leave you laughing outloud. There is that urge to reply, connect, affect.

I coudn't begin to list the numerous folks in my social media circle over the past week who have welcomed me back, wished me well, and wondered where in the heck I'd been. These are people who, over tweets, posts and nudges, have become my friends. People who I've connected with.

And when we do connect with those like-minded, like-hearted souls, something happens. Something clicks and friends are made. And based on my own experiences and those experiences shared by others, these aren't fair weather friends; they are the real deal. The ones who you cheer on when they announce they just wrote an offer, say a special prayer for when they say they lost their job, or support when they seem to need a boost. And you know what? They'd do the same for you in a heartbeat. So yes, I'd say we are indeed connected.

Thanks for reading!

Tamara