We met on the internet

I had a very pleasant morning this morning, doing something I think I have only done once before, and that is going off to have a coffee with someone I have ‘met’ on the internet. So I caught up with the lovely Cath, who blogs at The Picket Fence, in a café, and over two hours later we were still talking. It’s a rather strange experience, looking out for someone you don't know, followed by those first few minutes where you’re working out if your ideas about this person were remotely true to life (not that I even had a defined set of ideas, but I am sure you know what I mean).

Cath and I have a whole lot of friends in common, from several cities, and worked out we must have been at the same get-together or event several times in Brisbane many years ago, only we didn’t know it then. And now, years later, the paths come around again and we are friends. I am quite amazed at how quickly we fell into sharing lives and I enjoyed myself a lot. Cath is a kindred spirit. She even brought along a copy of CS Lewis's poems to loan me if I didn't have it (but I do).

(Actually, make that three times, as last weekend I caught up with Susannah, who I also met first in person a couple of years ago, after interacting on the internet back when I looked after the EQUIP bookclub website. I was so 'out there' then that I asked Susannah if she wanted to go see a movie, and she said yes.)