Dear readers, I think that I am addicted to talking to people. Online, offline, in line at the supermarket, I seem to find myself in conversations. The more I get involved in conversations, the more that I want to talk to people. I want to hear interesting points of view; I want to share what I know; I want people to debate me.
Oh, and I want to do this in-person.
For those that think that face-to-face meetings are unnecessary, think about the rapport that you have with the people that you meet face-to-face. Can that easily be replicated in an online environment? Can you share an amazing pasta dish with a virtual friend? Can you leisurely finish a bottle of wine on Twitter?
Yesterday, I had some amazing online conversations. I met some new and interesting people. I learned a thing or two. And yet, at 5pm, I texted a friend asking about dinner plans. The online interaction that I had left me craving the face-to-face contact. I wanted more and I wanted it in-person.
At dinner, we met the owner of the restaurant that we were at. We spoke to him for an hour about his passion for his business. We planned at cooking class that would be given by the owner. The excitement that he had couldn’t possibly be replaced online, but I admit it could be enhanced. He could learn to Tweet, and engage in online conversation to drive business and allow patrons to chat with him while dining. I hope he does this.
So here’s the lesson. I’m a huge fan on online networking. HUGE. But there’s nothing like getting out and spending time with real people. If you work from home and spend most of your time in cyberspace, make time to break away. Have dinner with a friend. Host a Tweetup. Make new friends, in-real-life. Get addicted to people.
P.S. I don’t really make friends in line at the supermarket. I buy from Peapod and have my groceries delivered.