Maybe it’s a shortsided response on my part, but it’s still jarring to be reminded there are plenty of people who doubt the extent of community online or at best qualify its existence as some kind of cold flat reflection of “real life.”
I look back at just this past week:
coming together in the Crack Van and on Twitter to bear witness toDADT repeal,
the pain of finding out I havetwo more deadfriends in my Facebook list, and another reeling in griefbecause how do you go on when half of you is gone?
And then there was yet another story about yet anotherfoul-mouthed hippie blogger who had a crazy notion that people would maybe find a way to help other people
Over 900 gift cards were sent out by 689 people who were so thrilled to help. 450 people who needed small Christmas miracles received donations for medicine, food, or presents under the tree for their children. No large corporations got involved. No one only offered to donate if they got something out of it themselves. With no sponsorships, no ulterior motives and with only a simple need to reach out and help a perfect stranger, 689 everyday, normal people (Jewish, Christians, Atheists, Muslims and more) sent out over $40,000 worth of donations to make sure Christmas came.
I dunno, it all feels pretty real to me.
