I was pleased to attend the Democratic Election party at the Rainy Lake Saloon in Virginia Tuesday night. I was having a great time mingling with my friends. I wandered over to a friend of mine as she’s having a conversation with a few people.
It’s amazing how one assumes things. I often assume, because I am glued to my computer for at least 1/3 of the day, that so are other people. I assume that most people do email and read blogs and use the internet for research. Well, you know what they say when you assume.
I begin casually talking with a middle-aged woman; a woman who’s a fellow democrat, and I mention how I found out about something today on Facebook. She begins telling me that Facebook isn’t real communication. Now, by this time I probably had about 3 cocktails in me and I’m like, “Holy crap. Is she messing with me? Am I in a dream? Is she FOR REAL.” I respond with, “Well, yes it is real communication. I have been able to keep in touch and share my life with people I rarely see, people I graduated with, relatives that live in Alaska, right?”
WRONG. The woman starts spouting off about how the Internet has ruined everything. That an email is nothing compared to a REAL letter on paper because you can’t smell an email.
Oh, like yeah. Every time I get a bill in the mail, I usually take a big whif of it. OOOh it just smells so good! I can detect the corporate aroma; I can feel the energy radiating off of my electric bill. WTF?
I ask her, “So you’re saying, that if I read an email that has the EXACT WORDS as a letter, it’s not the SAME communication? The words don’t mean the same? The same words don’t mean the same thing. That’s what you’re saying?”
Yes. (Because I can’t smell the email, right?)
“The Internet has ruined libraries…and, when your computer crashes and all the computers crash in the world, then I’ll have paper and you won’t.”
Fire. Has anyone thought of fire? Or trees? What about the trees?
I reply, “Well, my computer doesn’t crash and if it does, then I have access to another one, FREAK.” (Ok, I didn’t call her a freak….to her face.)
I informed her that after earning my degree, I have learned everything about my field via the Internet. She asks, “What field is that?” I answer, “Marketing.” “Oh, figures.”
HOLD ON A MINUTE HERE. I don’t know this nutcase from Adam. I have never spoken to her before. I was just enjoying a drink, celebrating OBAMA’s lead and now I’m being attacked for just saying Facebook.
There is a moment of silence.I just keep looking at her. Waiting for her to exclaim, “KIDDING. Ah, I’m just messing with you.”
Nothing.
I have nothing left. I just start giggling. I take a hard swallow of my drink and continue to laugh and say, “I’m going to leave now. You’re insane. Goodbye.”
My friend shuffles me away and whispers, “I think she’s nuts. Don’t worry about it.”
Uh…YA THINK?
I am fascinated with how people’s minds get like this. Are there some movies on Lifetime that I’ve missed? Am I not a real American? What the hell, seriously.
I don’t get it. I just don’t get it.
