My Love-Hate Relationship with the Internet

[vovat]

I recently wrote a post on Tir na n'Og for my WordPress blog, and it struck me that the Internet is a lot like one of those fairylands where time flows differently. I can look at stuff online for what seems like a few minutes, and it turns out to be a few hours. I guess it isn't quite as bad as when I played The Sims, which was made even more confusing by the fact that the game had its own internal clock. Anyway, I've been checking out some new Tumblrs, as well as revisiting ones I already subscribed to, quite a bit in the past few days. I seem to look at a lot of pages with pin-up pictures nowadays, which kind of strikes me as a hobby it would have made more sense to have when I was single. Not that married guys never ogle other women, but shouldn't it be unnecessary at this point? Even though bethje has said she doesn't mind me looking at other girls, and she's pretty vocal about what guys she likes, but I still can't help feeling a little guilty. And I wasn't even raised Catholic! I must admit I'm a little envious of couples like my Tumblr-friends SamuraiFrog and Becca, who appear to share a love for pretty girls. In fairness, the only time I went to a burlesque show and a strip club were both with Beth.

Beth is actually away today, seeing Elton John in New York and having an actual social life with our friends therealtavie and Stephanie. I'm kind of jealous, but I didn't really have the desire to go running off to New York on my two-week break between classes. Besides, I like Elton John, but I'm not the fan Beth is. Seeing him live three times was enough for me. Honestly, I'm kind of gotten over concerts in general, which isn't to say I won't go to any more, but I'll almost certainly attend less. I still have fun while I'm there, but all the waiting and the crowds just get more and more overwhelming as I get older, and it's not like they were any picnic when I was younger either. While years of crippling social awkwardness have made me someone who's fine entertaining myself, I do sometimes wish I had more of a social life. But I don't know how to meet people, and everyone I meet online who seems cool lives far away. Honestly, I'm not really even sure how to socialize online. I used to use Instant Messenger a fair amount when I was in college (that's how Beth and I first became friends), but I don't seem to have the energy for it now. Don't let that discourage you from contacting me if you're interested, but keep in mind that I'll probably have about a hundred other tabs open (I'm only slightly exaggerating here), and might be a little slow to respond. I don't know that people use IM anymore anyway, and I haven't yet tried to figure out Skype.

No new Simpsons tonight, but Bob's Burgers was funny, and I liked the parody of Dumbo's pink elephant scene. That sequence really was creepy, wasn't it? As for Family Guy, it had some good moments, but I think it was one of those episodes that simply used an old cliché rather than doing anything to make fun of it. That's been disturbingly common on that show recently. And now, well, I should probably go to bed before too much longer, but I probably won't. Beth and I both stayed up really late last night, and while I went back to bed after dropping her off at the bus terminal, I didn't get a full night's sleep. Since I didn't get up until the evening, though, I'm not tired now. Oh, what a tangled web we weave when we don't have a regular sleep schedule! Oh, well. At least I only work four hours tomorrow, and Beth has the day off, so I don't have to take her. So in the end, it doesn't really matter a whole lot, does it?

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Becca here :)

I know how you feel. It's hard to meet people in real life who share your interests. It's not like people wear that kind of stuff on their sleeves and it takes a while before you really get to know someone (at least it takes me a while :).

It's so different online where I can put up a photo or a movie poster and someone says hey I like that and strike up a conversation. You kind of know where you stand from the get go there. Of course you are right online friends as cool as they are often live too far and hanging out online...even IMing...is just not the same as hanging out at dinner or your living room. What a quandary :)

[vovat.livejournal.com]

I've met pretty much everyone I know online through common interests. That's much harder to do in person. Maybe there needs to be a system where we all list our interests on our foreheads or something. {g}

I guess you're not planning on being in South Jersey anytime soon, are you? {g}

[kevenn.livejournal.com]

I hate chatting. LOL. I feel you on that one.

[poisonyoulove.livejournal.com]

I can look at stuff online for what seems like a few minutes, and it turns out to be a few hours

Ah, that happens so much! Except the rare occasion that I'm IMing with someone, in which case it's reversed. minutes feel like hours. I'm too introverted.

I've been enjoying Bob's Burgers, but it's a little distracting that Bob is played by the guy who played the coach on Home Movies. I liked the Dumbo sequence, though, because I'd just watched Dumbo for the first time a few months ago, so it was fresh in my memory. lol

[vovat.livejournal.com]

Nothing wrong with introversion. I mean, I guess it can be taken too far, but it often means you're capable of amusing yourself.

I've been enjoying Bob's Burgers, but it's a little distracting that Bob is played by the guy who played the coach on Home Movies.

And he uses the exact same voice, too.