Original Publication Information:
Suedomsa the Magazine November 1997 Volume One,
Issue Four
Introduction by Christy Tobin
Do you ever wonder what happened to that warm, plushy feeling you had as a
child? Returning to that inner self, who was carefree and innocent with
nothing to worry or complain about. I am constantly trying to attain that
return to a worry free self. With all the stresses and frictions that
take place in a busy college student / friend / daughter / sister/
roommate / executive assistant life, there is little time to enjoy all the
little things that take place in life.
I have changed my ways (at least for the next hour). I have decided to
only think about the little things and to enjoy all the small precious
things that are available in life. Take a break and relax. Enjoy a mug of
hot cocoa made with milk and topped with whipped cream. Call up an old
friend, long-distance and talk about old times - don't even think about
the bill, just laugh and have a great time. Open a new toothbrush and
brush your teeth with the new crisp bristles. Go to the park and play on
the swings or the slide, if they are full just watch all the kids giggle
and play. Buy a gift for a friend or co-worker for no occasion
whatsoever, surprise them and watch them smile. Buy or cut fresh flowers
for yourself. Go to the airport and look up at the airplanes in
astonishment and awe of their size and power. Just have fun and take a
minute to enjoy the little things in life. There is plenty of time for
the
rest.
Tabitha's Men by Tabitha Wharton
Do you know anyone who is addicted to the internet? Someone who could
tell you what cookies do, knows more html than English, or is a chat room
junkie? I do. Myself. I've used telnet programs to connect to remote
serves all over the world. In other worlds, using a phone line I can hook
my computer to another computer and talk to people elsewhere.
I started out on regular "talkers" like Forest - text only chatrooms - but
for the past two years I've been on LooneyMud (looney.com 8888). A mud is
a text-based game, but Looney is also a chat room. I have 33 days login
time there. That's really sad, because it means I've spent 33 days out of
the last year and a half of my life with my eyes glued to a computer
screen. I've met people I never would have known otherwise, talked to
strangers on the phone, and even had a couple of net-relationships. I've
learned a lot about who I am, and I think I act mostly the same online as
I do in real life. But you have to be careful, because some people don't
act like they do in real. And no matter how much you like someone's
on-line / on-the-phone personality, despite what anyone says, if there
isn't a physical attraction for both parties, it ain't gonna work.
But not everyone who's an internet junkie is a chat fiend. You have your
"porn hounds" for instance. Let's face it, almost everyone who's ever
used Netscape has at least tried to look up pornography.
And then there are those people who read the news groups. I once dated a
guy who was online more than I was, and all he did was post in newsgroups.
I didn't see the point in that, but he didn't see the point in Looney, so
I guess we're even on that. He would trade the toys that he collects for
money or other toys with people all over the world. I thought that was
crazy because he was taking the chance that the other people wouldn't hold
up their end of the deal.
After thinking about it, I realized that I take similar risks too. I meet
people that I know nothing about, and I take the chance that they could be
complete psychos who keep frozen rodent parts in their fridge. But we all
run that risk every day in real life anyway, although most people don't
think about it that way. My mom used to freak out and tell me that all
the people on the internet are rapists and child molesters and generally
bad people. My reply was always "Well, I guess that makes me a psycho
rapist bad person then doesn't it?" So next time you go to make fun of
those net-addicts, just remember that you could be one too, with a
computer and a little free time.
