Online Or Off

Me: Does it taste good?

MCA: Yes, it’s delicious! But you won’t like it.

I love how my friends know my taste. It could be because I’m way too predictable; but I’d like to believe that it’s due to the fact that we’ve known each other forever. Spending time with them is like putting on a favorite dress and remembering why it’s a favorite in the first place. That dress is often not the fanciest or the most beautiful, but when you see yourself in it, feel its fabric on your skin, and how it moves with you, it’s like you can conquer the world. 

It’s true what they say about friends being like wine; they’re better the longer you keep them. When you’ve seen each other through heartbreaks, bad jobs, betrayals, poor fashion choices, and what-were-you-thinking hairstyles, it would be mighty hard to get rid of them. But all kidding aside, I have been blessed with people who are loyal and would fight with me to the death. The kind I wouldn’t think twice walking through the desert with and for. One of the indispensable things in this life, I believe, is friendship. We were not meant to thrive in isolation.

The popularity of social media and the normalization of online interactions has made finding lasting friendships harder. I won’t dispute the value that these platforms bring to the table. It allows people separated by time zones to stay in touch and maintain relationships they have already cultivated. But the distance does make it tough because there is no substitute for a touch, hug, or kiss; to hold their hand, feel their warmth, and hear the peal of their laughter echoing in a coffee shop. This doesn’t mean that friendships are not possible online or that it can’t last. But it’s fraught with challenges and requires more work than the conventional type. 

The digital age is here to stay. Try as we might to hold on to the way we’ve always done things, we won’t be able to stop the new trends that are upon us. That includes the way we shop, go to church, or meet new people. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day, we wouldn’t even need to leave our houses for anything. We’d work from home and have food delivered. Would we even need friends in that kind of a world?

Yes, we do. Even introverts appreciate having a few people to bounce off ideas with. People you can count on if you need someone to travel with or listen to you cry or give you a much needed hug; who would come to your aid when your car’s stuck in 20 feet of snow, take you home if you’re too sick to drive, binge-watch Friends with you for the nth time, or go on a last-minute road trip when you’re feeling antsy. 

At least, I know I do.

Rock, paper, scissors.