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What livejournal is to me...
Seems like lately I've heard quite a few people say they disenchanted with/less interested in/are not getting what they want from Live Journal. Makes sense, was a new fun technology and especially the early birds could easily be getting over it. But, I've been thinking a bit about what exactly LJ is to me as a whole and had one of those wonderful dawning realizations as to (at least part of) why I enjoy it so much.
I love Fannie Flagg, her books, her stories of small town life in the 40s, Fried Green Tomatoes, Welcome to the World Baby Girl, Standing in the Rainbow, etc. The world was so different then, people sat on their front porch and chatted with whoever came by. Some were closer than others, some aquaintences built in to friendships. Neighbor Dorothy always had some advice, or cookies on the table for whoever would drop in. Front porches were where in the best of times people laughed and talked and told stories and gossiped and shoe'd away the flies. And in times of tragedy, whether it was the loss of a loved one, or just plain their cookies burned in the oven, there were always some people there out on their porches to offer everything from a happy wave hello as you walked by, to a hug of support, or to listen. So much of life in town happened on front porches it seems. Of course, I know Fannie Flaggs accounts are fictionalized, perfect and pretty images of what the world was at the time, but I *know* that old front porch was a place of magic, I know it! Then the world changed. Everyone went inside. Everyone had screen doors to keep the flies out of the house, and air conditioners to keep it cooler inside than out. The becon call of television brought people inside too and the world changed and now most houses aren't even built with front porches any longer.
So this morning it stuck me while thinking about LJ, that *that* is what LJ is to me. Maybe to nobody else, but to me, it's my front porch. People come by here and there, wave hello as they wander by, stop by and share some laughs or support. There is flirting and serious talk and gossip, and sometimes just plain sillyness. All out on this new world wide front porch of LJ. And then there are all these other people with LJ's and front porches, and I can do the same, dropping by time to time and enjoying their hospitality. Some people come by a lot, some only on a rare occasion, and some not at all but ultimately all are welcome even that crazy old coot that you never quite understand what he's trying to say or the new guy in town who is trying to start life anew.
For me... it's just a desire for a simpler world I think. Where ultimately we are still all small town folk at heart, and just reach out to each other human to human. I know I don't get enough of that in the real world. For a while now I've been dissing LJ and whining how pitiful I am that it is almost my entire social life in many ways, but you know, it's not so bad and is certainly working for me. I'm sure I'll get bored with it at some point. I'll go in and close my doors and flip on the tv, or whatever the next nifty new thing is. But for now... I'm perfectly happy sitting out here on my porch saying hey to all those who wanna come by and sit a spell.
Hope you all have a wonderful new year, thanks for dropping in :)
oh, a quick edit... Neighbor![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
pagerbear has duly corrected me... it is beck and call not becon call. Yay for smart folks on the porch :)
I love Fannie Flagg, her books, her stories of small town life in the 40s, Fried Green Tomatoes, Welcome to the World Baby Girl, Standing in the Rainbow, etc. The world was so different then, people sat on their front porch and chatted with whoever came by. Some were closer than others, some aquaintences built in to friendships. Neighbor Dorothy always had some advice, or cookies on the table for whoever would drop in. Front porches were where in the best of times people laughed and talked and told stories and gossiped and shoe'd away the flies. And in times of tragedy, whether it was the loss of a loved one, or just plain their cookies burned in the oven, there were always some people there out on their porches to offer everything from a happy wave hello as you walked by, to a hug of support, or to listen. So much of life in town happened on front porches it seems. Of course, I know Fannie Flaggs accounts are fictionalized, perfect and pretty images of what the world was at the time, but I *know* that old front porch was a place of magic, I know it! Then the world changed. Everyone went inside. Everyone had screen doors to keep the flies out of the house, and air conditioners to keep it cooler inside than out. The becon call of television brought people inside too and the world changed and now most houses aren't even built with front porches any longer.
So this morning it stuck me while thinking about LJ, that *that* is what LJ is to me. Maybe to nobody else, but to me, it's my front porch. People come by here and there, wave hello as they wander by, stop by and share some laughs or support. There is flirting and serious talk and gossip, and sometimes just plain sillyness. All out on this new world wide front porch of LJ. And then there are all these other people with LJ's and front porches, and I can do the same, dropping by time to time and enjoying their hospitality. Some people come by a lot, some only on a rare occasion, and some not at all but ultimately all are welcome even that crazy old coot that you never quite understand what he's trying to say or the new guy in town who is trying to start life anew.
For me... it's just a desire for a simpler world I think. Where ultimately we are still all small town folk at heart, and just reach out to each other human to human. I know I don't get enough of that in the real world. For a while now I've been dissing LJ and whining how pitiful I am that it is almost my entire social life in many ways, but you know, it's not so bad and is certainly working for me. I'm sure I'll get bored with it at some point. I'll go in and close my doors and flip on the tv, or whatever the next nifty new thing is. But for now... I'm perfectly happy sitting out here on my porch saying hey to all those who wanna come by and sit a spell.
Hope you all have a wonderful new year, thanks for dropping in :)
oh, a quick edit... Neighbor
pagerbear has duly corrected me... it is beck and call not becon call. Yay for smart folks on the porch :)