Connecting with Technology Part 2: Friends, Everywhere

In one of my recent posts, I wrote about how technology has let us connect with people in ways that we never would have been able to before social media and Facebook. I promised two more posts about it. Here’s the next one.

Diana Beebe, middle grade fantasy, science fiction, Diana Beebe's Blog, Mermaids Don't Do Windows

Last year, I joined WANATribe and started blogging–thanks to Kristen Lamb’s Blogging for Brand course. My classmates are all incredible, fun, caring people. We’ve spent a lot of time together in class and online. As a result of the course, I met other graduates of Kristen’s course. I’ve made friends in that class and because of the class. When we go to writers’ conferences, we find each other and offer support (or make fun of asparagus together).

When I went to DFWCon, I got to meet several of these writers in person, including the bubbly, friendly, hilarious Tameri Etherton. (She’s responsible for my profile picture, by the way.)

Technology has made that possible.

When I was in Maui on vacation, I found out from Tameri that her daughter was on the island, too!

A few years ago, it would have been impossible to have that kind of cell service in Maui. Hello, Technology!

What was I doing chatting on Facebook with Tameri while I was on vacation in the first place?

As it happened, I’d gotten an email (again, hello, Technology!) that I had to tell her and Debra Kristi (another blogging friend) about. At DFWCon, I’d pitched my new middle grade novel to a super nice and lovely agent. She didn’t think the novel was right for her. Was I disappointed? Sure, absolutely. BUT it was the sweetest, nicest personal rejection letter–EVER. I wasn’t upset in the least because of the kind tone of the note. I had to tell them about the amazing rejection, because they knew how excited I was to pitch to this agent in the first place.

Shortening the story here: During our Facebook chat session, Tameri told me where her daughter worked. We’d driven by the location many times already!

As a mom, I couldn’t even imagine being that far away from my baby girl (even when she’s grown). So I offered to say hello to her daughter. I knew exactly where she was, it wasn’t out of the way, and I would want a friend to check in on my baby girl if they could.

I’m so glad that I did, too. I knew when I walked in and saw her that she was Tameri’s daughter. Then I asked her if I could ask her a couple of crazy questions. She made a wisecrack about not “taking those.” Yep, she was Tameri’s daughter, and I told her so. LOL.

Priceless reaction! She looked like she was in total shock. She wasn’t wearing a name tag. When I told her I knew her mom, she ran around the counter and gave me the biggest hug.

Her joy was evident. Look at that picture! We had a lovely chat, and she picked out some great coffee for me.

If I hadn’t already been connected to Tameri thanks to technology, I would have missed out on one of the more meaningful events of my vacation.

Kristen Lamb talks about this strange, new connectivity we have with technology in her new book Rise of the Machines, which I’m reading and absorbing. I have to agree with her–and not just because I’ve taken up residence in her blogging class, but also because of my blogging classmates and friends. We do make more human connections because of technology. I highly recommend her book, especially if you are building a brand platform for yourself.

Have you experienced something or met someone fabulous that was made possible only because of the advances in technology?

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