It’s a Monday, but it’s been a long Monday, so I thought I’d use my Twitter anniversary to do a quick storytime — since it seems appropriate for today.
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I joined Twitter at 1:48am March 5, 2009, according to Twitter. I’d never seen the time stamp before — but there it is. I was “underemployed,” as I called it, by that point, and it was early Thursday morning, so the odds are pretty good I was a bit (or a lot) drunk.pic.twitter.com/K2wxVuDLfA
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I had started back up my blog, Law Dork, and was still in my condo back in Columbus — but the truth was that things were looking pretty grim (although I don’t think I really quite realized it).
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Being very active in my addiction at that point (and being bipolar), who’s to say what was technically going on with me when I joined this place that night! Broadly, I know that I felt like I should sign up to help out with my blogging and with my preparing to move to DC.
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I had been convinced to join Twitter because that’s where the conversations that had been happening on blogs were happening now. And, I found out, it was true!
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(I had basically disappeared off the internet for two years when I worked in state government. I re-started the blog when I left.)
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What I quickly found out when I joined Twitter, though, was that — unlike the blogosphere — communities quickly overlapped, and you encountered people you’d never have seen back in the early blogging days.
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And that was amazing, and it let me learn from people — and talk to people and, eventually, meet people — who had so much to offer me and my life.
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I was able to follow one person, for example, who was sober — and who I told of my difficulties with drinking when I wasn’t comfortable talking with (and/or was actively lying to) the people I knew in my “real” life.
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I also was able to follow people in DC before I moved (back) here, and get a feeling for the queer community that had changed so much since I’d left in ‘98.
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Since then, of course, I moved to DC, decided that drinking was not working for me, got sober, and have proceeded on this truly incredible adventure of the past several years.
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It’s been wild. It’s been unexpected. And thanks to Twitter, I basically already have friends anywhere I travel. And they have a friend here when they visit. ... It’s truly a delight.
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So, I might have been drunk or depressed or a bit manic (or some combination thereof) when I decided to join Twitter, but thank God that I did. Despite the days when I want to throw my phone into the street to hide from Twitter, it’s also pretty much helped save my life.
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(I do recognize that being a white guy has helped improve my Twitter experience as compared to others. At the same time, tho, many people have shared with me that w/in communities, and despite the problems, they have had similar experiences within their chosen online community.)
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Anyway, that’s that. Thanks for joining me on this adventure, and here’s to my 10th year on Twitter! ... For now, though, I’m gonna head to bed. ... Night, all, and let us try to be good to one another — and ourselves.
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How to get the anniversary pic??
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It appears in your mentions as an optional tweet from Twitter on your anniversary!
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you're a good egg, please never log off
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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You’re old.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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Glad you joined twitter and found yourself! Thanks for opening yourself up to us, who may see our own reflection in you. Keep on keeping on!
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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